Thomas Nelson, Ph.D., President –
Tom taught secondary school science in northern California before earning an M.A. in Science Education at Sacramento State University, and then a Ph.D. in the College of Education/School of Natural Resources at the University of Arizona, where he fell in love with the Sonoran Desert.
He was an active member of the Arizona Association for Learning in and about the Environment served on the Arizona Governor’s Task Force on Environmental Education, and was a Visiting Professor at the University of Montana.
He is Professor Emeritus, School of Education at the University of the Pacific, where he served as Director of the Doctoral Program. He has published widely in various fields of study, including teacher education, curriculum studies, place-based learning, and critical theory and pedagogy. He has served as faculty chair, sitting on numerous academic boards, and spent twelve years as editor of Teacher Education Quarterly, and twelve years on the Board of Directors of the California Council on Teacher Education, was an active member in the American Educational Research Association, and continues to provide educational consulting services. He lives with his wife, Teri, in the Empire Mountains.
Steve Brown, Vice President – Born in the Sonoran Desert, grew up in the Santa Rita Mountains, and resides in Tucson. For many years, he and his wife Alice owned a meat market in Vermont, where he became a skilled meat cutter. He also helped establish a publicly-funded alternative high school, also in the Green Mountain State. Steve received his master’s degree from Boston College and worked as a community organizer for public health and international human rights. In 2014, he returned to Tucson and was an instructor with Tucson Unified School District in Spanish and track & field at an “A+” K-5 school. Steve is founder of Commonwealth Solutions, a consulting firm that seeks to foster healthy and positive communities.
Carol Shinsky, Treasurer – Lived in the Arizona desert from 1973 through 2022. She worked for Tucson Unified School District and Vail School District until her retirement in 2003. She and her husband spent many years hiking, biking, and camping in our beautiful Sonoran desert while working with conservation organizations to help preserve this unique and fragile environment. She has been Board Treasurer for SSSR since 2014 and continues in that position from her new home in Washington State.
Gregory C. Shinsky – Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Six years service in the United States Army and twenty-three years service in the Tucson Fire Department. Retired at the age of 48, volunteering and working on the SSSR Board for 14 years.
“My passion for the right to clean air and clean water drives my commitments.”
Gayle Hartmann – Worked as an archaeologist and archaeological editor for the Arizona State Museum, the University of Arizona, and several environmental consulting firms in Tucson. She has authored or co-authored several journal articles and books and has served as editor of Kiva: The Journal of Southwestern Anthropology and History. She has served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for Pima County and as member of the steering committee of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. She also served two terms on the Board of Trustees of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Gayle is currently a research associate at the Arizona State Museum.
Lynn Harris – Born and raised in Tucson, is a retired architect. She attended Tucson Unified Public Schools and graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. She worked as a project designer and project manager for local and national architectural firms, primarily in the field of healthcare. She and her husband raised, trained and showed American Quarter Horses, and also owned and operated a farm where they raised grass-fed beef. Her family members first came to Tucson in the 1850s and were involved with many occupations including mining, ranching, education, retail lumber/hardware sales, journalism, and aerospace engineering/manufacturing.
In addition to working with SSSR since 2003, she has done volunteer work for the Arizona Land and Water Trust, Pima County Environmental Education, Tucson Wildlife Center, Southern Arizona Quarter Horse Association, Therapeutic Riding of Tucson, and the Arizona Historical Society.
Stan Hart, Ph.D.– Grew up in Lynn, MA 1935-1956. Educated at MIT and Caltech. Career in geochemistry and marine geology at Carnegie Institution of Washington; U. California, San Diego; MIT; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (now Emeritus). Resident of Green Valley AZ since 2009. Member, National Academy of Science; American Academy of Arts and Sciences. (See also Stanley Robert Hart, Wikipedia).
Jeff Herr – A fifth-generation southern Arizonan born in Douglas. He grew up in Tucson and graduated from the University of Arizona with a journalism degree. He worked at both dailies in Tucson, Nogales, in Phoenix (Republic Media), and then ventured into digital media in the mid-90s (Starwave, ABCNews.com, Outside Online, TheStreet.com). He also worked at the national and regional level driving national digital reporting and sales at Lee Enterprises (co-owner of the Star) and all digital for Media-News Group in California (HQed at the San Jose Mercury News).
From there, he and three colleagues started a software company (TapClicks) in San Jose that continues its rapid growth in digital-marketing analytics. He then lead digital for the Durango Herald and was publisher of a group of newspapers in Missouri before returning home. He is now the owner and publisher of a Tucson-focused magazine. He is married to his college sweetheart and is unbearably proud of this three daughters.
John Michael Kozma – holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, and a Masters in Business Administration from Pepperdine University, Los Angeles, CA. He served as a decorated junior naval officer during the Viet-Nam campaign and was employed during his professional materials management career with a variety of companies in the metal turning industry. His latest position was as Materials Manager for New Hampshire Ball Bearing’s Precision Division in Chatsworth, CA.
John has been married to his wife Patty for 54 years and they enjoy a variety of activities together, including their older grandchildren in Oklahoma and their younger grandchildren in Southern California.
Jointly retiring in 2008 and moving to Green Valley in 2009, John became involved with several community groups. These included (a) the Green Valley Council Environmental Committee, (b) the Pima County Environmental Quality Advisory Council, (c) the Volunteers In Police Service for the Town Of Sahuarita, (d) the AARP Tax-Aide Assistance Program and (e) a current board member of Save The Scenic Santa Ritas. It is through his association with the Green Valley Council that he became involved with and knowledgeable in local and regional water issues.
Edward D. Buster – Security Program Manager for the City of Tucson’s Tucson Water Utility. He overseas, administrates, and directs total security throughout Tucson water’s critical infrastructure including $80 billion in assets, the safety of 2000+ employees, and risk management of Arizona’s second largest municipal utility encompassing 4,600 miles of pipeline transferring 30 billion gallons of drinking water serving 1 million customers throughout Pima County daily. Ed is a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Business Management.
He is a United States Air Force veteran, retiring as the Chief of Operations and Personnel. Ed is a member of the Vail Unified School District Governing Board, Corona de Tucson Community Alliance, Corona Cares, Southeast Regional Council, and serves on multiple public and private organization boards.
Morris Farr, Ph.D. –
Sheila L. Dagucon, Esq.
John Kozma
Roger McManus
Thomas F. Purdon, MD
Sarah Truebe, Ph.D.
Advisory Committee
Ann Audrey
George Binney
Phil Caputo
Anne Gibson
Fergus Graham
Lynn Harris
Bob Sharp
Steve Strom, Ph.D.
Contact information
You can contact us at (520) 246-3622. Please be patient if you don’t receive a call back right away…or feel free to send us an email using our contact form.
Mailing address
Save the Scenic Santa Ritas
8987 E. Tanque Verde #309-157
Tucson, AZ 85749
