Save the Scenic Santa Ritas

Fighting to protect the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains from the devastating impacts of mining.

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Board of Directors and Staff


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

Recent Posts

  • THE HOT TOPIC: WATER OR LACK THEREOF January 24, 2023
  • Hudbay ramps up excavation for Copper World Complex as local resistance continues and expands January 7, 2023
  • Meet The Man Who Shoots At Birds All Day To Keep Them Off A Toxic Pit | World Wide Waste (video) January 5, 2023
  • Lithium America Mine Project Hampered After Judge Schedules Hearing on Nevada Mine January 5, 2023
  • Thousands Will Live Here One Day (as Long as They Can Find Water) January 5, 2023
  • Latest Updates About Local Water Issues and Rosemont / Copper World Mine Complex January 5, 2023
  • Hudbay, Forest Service won’t appeal ruling blocking Rosemont Mine December 19, 2022
  • Letter: Proposed New Mines in Santa Ritas November 28, 2022
  • Wells are running dry in drought-weary Southwest as foreign-owned farms guzzle water to feed cattle overseas November 28, 2022
  • Annual pulses of copper-enriched sediment in a North American river downstream of a large lake following the catastrophic failure of a mine tailings storage facility November 28, 2022

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Rosemont/ Copper World Mine Complex News

THE HOT TOPIC: WATER OR LACK THEREOF

Hudbay ramps up excavation for Copper World Complex as local resistance continues and expands

Meet The Man Who Shoots At Birds All Day To Keep Them Off A Toxic Pit | World Wide Waste (video)

Lithium America Mine Project Hampered After Judge Schedules Hearing on Nevada Mine

More Posts from this Category

Copper World Flyover January 6, 2023 by David Steele

Another shocking sight of the incredible destruction happening on our beautiful Santa Ritas.WATCH VIDEO NOW

Russ McSpadden’s recent fly-over showing mine activity

In Nov 2022 Russ captured recent bulldozing in the Santa Rita Mountains. His video starts over the Rosemont mine project on the east side and then swings over the Copper World project on the west side. WATCH VIDEO NOW

Explore the proposed Rosemont and Copper World projects virtually

Check out Pima County’s updated map of the proposed mine site. Click on any spot on the map for ownership/status information. Mapping details are based on Hudbay’s PEA dated May 1.

Proposed Rosemont/ Copper World Mine Complex

Image compilation of the area

LENS ON THE LAND

October 2022 Powerpoint Presentation

Click here to download (PDF)

Litigation Update

There have been two recent judicial rulings on the Rosemont Copper Company projects — one favorable and one unfavorable.

Click here to learn more

The latest on Hudbay’s Copper World project in the Santa Rita Mountains

Click here to download (PDF)

Where is the Rosemont/Copper World Mine Complex?

Click here for directions

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