Meet the Advisory Board
Dr. Tanya Quist is the director of the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum, and an Associate Professor in The School of Plant Sciences. She earned a Ph.D. studying plant environmental stress and M.S. and B.S. degrees in horticulture science. She advocates for responsible landscape practices which protect urban trees and support sustainable landscape management.
***This page is under construction***
Current Board Members 2024-25
Juan Barba Juan Barba is a Consulting and Working Arborist, the owner of Juan J. Barba & Associates in Tucson, Arizona. Holding a degree in Environmental and Landscape Horticulture from the UofA and ISA Arborist Certification, Juan has practiced in and instructed all facets of arboricultural & horticultural care around Arizona and many other states. A native Tucsonan who enjoys traveling, he is a past president of Western Chapter, ISA and a former chair of Trees for Tucson. Learn more about Juan!
Dr. A. John Bramley, born and educated in the United Kingdom, is a microbiologist with degrees from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and the University of Reading. After a government research career in England he moved to the University of Vermont where he served as a Professor, Chair, Dean, Provost and Interim President. Following his retirement to southern Arizona his interest in plants and horticulture drew him to the University Campus Arboretum which he sees as both a place of beauty and an expression of the University Land Grant Mission.
Tom Ellis - Owner, Arborist, Horticulturalist Tom Ellis is a seasoned professional horticulturalist with over 40 years of experience as a land manager. Tom’s career has spanned roles as a municipal horticulturist, urban forester, department director, and educator. He is Tree Risk Assessment Qualified and maintains ISA certification as an Arborist, and Municipal Specialist. His ability to build and develop teams and manage complex projects has provided safe and vibrant green spaces in New Mexico and Arizona. Tom’s passion for the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum began in the early years of the Arboretum’s development driven by his experience witnessing the beneficial effects of green space on people and communities. When he’s not promoting the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum, you might find Tom running, hiking, or biking the many paths and trails in Southern Arizona or working in the garden with his wife, Liz.
Dr. Mark Dimmitt, Ph.D, earned degrees from Pomona College, UCLA, and UCRiverside, and has authored more than 50 scientific and popular publications about ecology and horticulture. His major publication is the plant and ecology chapters of A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert (2000), and he is the Sr. Ed. of the revised edition (2015). He is coauthor of the book Adenium: Sculptural Elegance, Floral Extravagance (2008). In addition to being a Fellow of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America, Mark is a renowed plant breeder focused on hybridized Trichocereus, Tillandsia, Adenium, though also known well for his role in selecting the widely used 'Desert Museum' palo verde. Mark also collects and grows a number of other weird plants, mostly succulents and epiphytes at his home and greenhouses in west Tucson. Learn more about Mark!
Peter Dourlein is retired from the UA where he served as an Associate Vice President for Planning, Design & Construction and University Architect for 30+ years. He is a respected and deeply involved member of the Tucson community, serving in many leadership roles relating to sustainability, as member and president of the board of directors of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Metropolitan Pima Alliance, and numerous design and construction industry organizations and associations. He is an accredited professional with the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental design certification program, a published author, and consultant in the Architectural and Construction industry.
Katie Gannon, Executive Director at Tucson Clean & Beautiful, Inc. has been the Executive Director of Tucson Clean & Beautiful since 2020. Previously, she was the program director of the Trees for Tucson urban forestry program, Katie has a Masters degrees in Landscape Architecture and Accounting. She has done post graduate work in public health and has years in program design and development, equity-based community engagement and participatory planning, and grant writing, and experience as a Certified Public Accountant. She is an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist and served on the City of Tucson Landscape Advisory Committee for nearly a decade.
Nicole Gillette, City of Tucson Urban Forestry Program Manager. Nicole holds a BA in Environmental Science and MS in Geography. She has worked on community and nature based solutions to climate change for over 10 years on diverse initiatives from small scale flood resilience to wildlife conservation.
Matthew B. Johnson, holds a B.S. in Agriculture and a M.S. in Horticulture from the University of Arizona. His career interests have involved a combination of botany and horticulture. For 33 years, until 2024, served as the Program Manager and Curator for the Desert Legume Program, working with the UA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Previous to this he served as the Botany Curator for Tohono Chul Park in Tucson. Matt served on the Board of Directors of the Wallace Desert Gardens from 2007—2019 and is a long-time member of the Arizona Native Plant Society, the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society, and the El Paso Cactus and Rock Club. Matt has authored over 90 published articles on botany and horticulture of plants from arid regions. He is a co-author of The Trees of Sonora, Mexico, and author of Cacti, other Succulents, and Unusual Xerophytes of Southern Arizona. He authored treatments for three genera for Field Guide to Cacti and other Succulents of Arizona. In addition to his work as a manager, curator, and author, Matt is a botanical illustrator with line illustrations and photographs appearing in several books and numerous publications. He has traveled extensively to study plants and plant habitats in the southwestern United States and in Mexico, Argentina, Australia, and South Africa. He has visited other dry regions around the world including China, India, Paraguay, and the Mediterranean region in Europe.
Mark Novak, ASLA is an accomplished Arizona landscape architect with a BLA from the University of Arizona. He was the University Landscape Architect at UA for 30+ years up to his recent retirement. Prior to that he was in private practice in Tucson. Mr. Novak specializes in the development of arid region landscapes and urban environments. He has received awards for landscape research and design from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Mark is a founding member of the Campus Arboretum. He first developed his love for trees and the outdoors as a Boy Scout in Minnesota.
Dr. Mike Offerman earned his B.A. degree from the University of Iowa, M.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Ed.D. from Northern Illinois University. Offerman was the Assistant Director of the Extended University at the University of Arizona, Dean of Continuing Education and Online Learning at the University of Wisconsin-Extension, and President of Capella University. He worked with the leadership of colleges and universities nationwide as consultant with HCM Strategists, Washington D.C. and internal consultant with Lumina Foundation for Education. From 2022-2024, he worked with the Campus Arboretum tour program focusing especially on arranging special group tours.
Brian Rasmussen, Campus Arboretum Registrar of Collections. Brian works part time as an Independent Contractor for the Campus Arboretum to provide curation support. Brian has 6 years experience working in the Nursery and Greenhouse industry and even longer growing his own collection of rare plants. His work with the Campus Arboretum involves facilitation of plant review for campus installations, maintaining records, providing support for plant succession planning with plants list fitting the arboretum collections policy. In addition to these curatorial roles, Brian has generated interactive videos of the plants in the Mark Dimmitt Desert Plant Conservatory for our YouTube Channel to share his particular knowledge and passion for "weird plants"!
Dr. Dennis Ray, Professor Emeritus University of Arizona School of Plant Sciences. Dennis Ray is an emeritus University of Arizona Distinguished Professor, who held joint appointments in the School of Plant Sciences and the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. He has also held positions as Faculty Associate to the Vice President for Undergraduate Education, Associate Director of the School of Plant Sciences, and Chair, Interdisciplinary Graduate Committee on Genetics in addition to a long history of leadership in the American Society of Horticulture Science.
Brenda Taylor was married to Keith Taylor, Jr. Class of 1954 College of Agriculture, and with him, supported the Campus Arboretum from its beginnings. KT was one of the original Arboretum Board of Directors who helped to Rescue the Krutch Garden. Both Brenda and Keith believe in “paying it forward”, and have always given generously with their money, time, energy and wisdom. Brenda continues Keith’s legacy at the UA through her service on this board. She is committed to supporting arboretum programs and to spreading the word that the UA Campus is a Nationally Recognized Arboretum that not only provides shade and beauty for all to enjoy but also serves as a living laboratory showcasing so many lessons in urban tree conservation and responsible landscape stewardship.
Richard Wiedhopf is the President of the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society and one of the founders of its rescue program that has saved more than 95,000 cacti and succulents from destruction. He served the University in the College of Pharmacy for more than 50 years and retired as Assistant Dean for Finance and Facilities and Curator of the History of Pharmacy Museum. He was an early officer and board member that helped establish the Tucson Botanical Gardens.
Lori Woods earned her Landscape Architecture degree from the UA and worked with RECON Environmental, Inc. She is native Tucsonan, with a passion for Sonoran desert conservation and habitat restoration. Ms. Woods served on the University/Community Planning And Design Advisory Review Committee (PADRAC) for many years and provides design review assistance for key areas of the Campus Arboretum that are being developed, giving careful consideration to their historic context, environmental sensitivity and educational value.
Campus Board Members Serving Previous Terms
Amy Belk, is the manager of Pima County’s Native Plant Nursery, growing and salvaging native plants for public spaces as part of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. She has been an ISA certified arborist for 14 years, and has worked in plant nurseries, botanical gardens, private gardens, and public green spaces in Arizona as well as the Eastern United States. Amy is currently pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Sciences at the University of Arizona, and her research and professional interests include the role native plants play in ecological restoration that supports native pollinators.
Ann Audrey is an alumna of the U of A, and has spent many happy hours over the years walking among the wonderful trees in the Campus Arboretum. As a board member, she tirelessly uses her experience as a fundraiser and expertise in running non-profits to help with marketing, fundraising and landscape development. Learn more about Ann!
Hank Verbais, graduated from the University of Arizona in 1975 and 1976 with bachelors and masters degrees in vocational rehabilitation. He later earned a law degree from the Santa Barbara College of Law. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and U.S Navy Reserve. He was a school administrator in Santa Barbara, CA for a number of years before becoming an air traffic controller. After retiring from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2013, he pursued his love of the outdoors by becoming a docent at Tohono Chul Park where he leads butterfly and wildflower tours. He is a certified master gardener, certified master naturalist, a trained local phenology leader and docent at the Watershed Management Group. He leads arboretum tours and coordinates the tour program with other master gardener volunteer tour guides and the University visitor center. He is an avid fly fisher and a woodworker who enjoys creating Shaker-inspired furniture.
Pauline Savage is an artist both as painter and sculptor. She earned a B.S. in Art, a B.S. in Art Education and a M.A in painting and ceramics from Fort Hays State University, and the University of Kansas. She also has a certificate in Expressive Art Therapy. Through her company, Savage Design Studio in Seattle her paintings were marketed and sold nationally through The Seattle Gift Mart and Picture Source. She has experience as Assistant Director of Admissions for the Kansas City Art Institute and also experience in Market and Research in the training and seminar industry. She is a member of the Southwest Society of Botanical Artists, Botanical Artist Guild of Southern California, the Americans Society of Botanical Artist, the National Guild of Scientific Illustrators. In a quest to learn about the flora a fauna of the desert, after moving to Tucson in 2017, she became a member of Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society, Tucson Native Plant Society, Native Seed Search, Tohono Chul, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and The Tucson Botanical Gardens. Pauline is actively involved in the Campus Arboretum's Krutch Garden Florilegium project. For more information on Pauline, visit: paulinesavage.com
Kathryn Stamps is a volunteer copywriter and editor for the Campus Arboretum's e-newsletter. She earned an MFA from Hunter College, NY; BFA, Summa Cum Laude, from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst; and ASA in Fine Art from Greenfield Community College. Kathryn grew up hiking and camping in New England, where she developed a passion for learning about the local natural environment anywhere she goes. Her favorite book about the outdoors is "Reading the Forested Landscape" by Tom Wessels
Leonard Sciulli, is an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona. Lenny is professionally interested in urban horticulture and helps the arboretum with research and outreach. He is working on an analysis of the climate adaptation of our campus and created and hosts an outreach tour relating to desert plant adaptations. Both of these projects aim to provide practical learning and guidance to the community seeking to build sustainable landscapes.
Jackie Lyle, Vice President of Operations and Communications for Civano Growers in Tucson, Arizona. As an ISA Certified Arborist and member of the City of Tucson Landscape Advisory Committee, Jackie is well-versed in urban and residential horticulture for the Southwest. She is also a Pima County Master Gardener and she sits on the board of the Arizona Community Tree Council. In her free time, Jackie volunteers as a docent at the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum. She also enjoys visiting famous trees around the world.
William Lampman, is an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona. William is double majoring in Plant Sciences (BS) and Natural Resources (Wildlife Conservation Emphasis) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. William provides leadership on the board in establishing a new desert plant conservatory, and in providing reserach of plant species proposed or existing in the Campus Arboretum collection. Learn more about William!
Peter Price is currently a Ph.D. Student at Arizona State University studying native and desert-adapted succulent plants that employ crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) for green roof design applications in the Sonoran Desert. Peter earned a B.S. in Plant Sciences from the University of Arizona in 2011, and a Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) from Arizona State University in 2016, and has experience in natural resource management with the US Forest Service as well as state agencies in Arizona, New Mexico and South Dakota. Learn more about Peter!
Sandra Obenour-Dowd is the Grounds Superintendent for the University of Arizona. She earned her B.S. degree in Horticulture from Texas A&M University. From wholesale and retail nurseries, to tissue culture at the Biosphere, to golf course horticulturist, to university grounds maintenance, she has a deep horticultural background. Sandra has lived in all three of the southwestern United States deserts and has a great interest in promoting the beauty and functionality of native and adapted plants in the landscape.
Margaret Pope is a scientific illustrator who has done commissioned work for private individuals, businesses and organizations. Solo exhibits of her work have been held at Tohono Chul Park and Tucson Botanical Gardens and her work has been juried into both local and international exhibits. She has also curated several exhibits. In 2008 she began The Sonoran Desert Florilegium Program, a non-profit organization sponsored by the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society, whose mission it is to promote and preserve botanical art of the Sonoran Desert region. Prior to becoming an artist Margaret received a B.S. in Science, from the University of San Francisco and a Masters in Public Health and Nurse-Midwifery from The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. She was in the Peace Corps in India from 1965 -1968 and worked as a nurse-midwife on the Navajo Reservation and in Tucson from in 1970 through 1979.
Dr. Steven Leavitt, Steven Leavitt has a B.S. degree in Geology from the University of Illinois, M.S. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia, and Ph.D. in Geochemistry from the University of Arizona. Leavitt is the Associate Director of the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of Arizona. His specialty is isotope dendrochronology as applied to paleoclimate and ecology questions. He has been author or co-author on more than 150 papers, and has been Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on 20 grants from various agencies including National Science Foundation, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, U.S. Dept. of Energy, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Leavitt teaches classes related to global change, biogeochemical cycles and isotope dendrochronology, and he has also been editor of the international journal Tree-Ring Research since 2001.
Nick Shipley, co-owner and Chief Operations Officer of Civano Growers was born in Nova Scotia, Canada. He is an ISA Certified Arborist. From 1997-2004 he served as Reclamation Manager for Civano Nursery, Inc. where he oversaw salvage of trees and cacti from development sites. From 2004-2017 he served as Farm Manager of Civano Growers where he oversaw all aspects of plant production at the nursery. Nick was raised in the horticulture industry and started working summers in his father's greenhouses at the age of 11. he has an incredible passion for plants and is driven to see them thrive in our urban landscapes.
David Yetman is an academic expert on Sonora, Mexico and an Emmy award-winning media presenter on the world's deserts. He is a research social scientist at the University of Arizona. Yetman is a known as the 'voice' for the people and desert regions of the south-west USA and Northern Mexico. His publications date back to the 1980s and often deal with the plant use of particular tribes and peoples.
Bethany Vos is an undergraduate student pursuing two degrees: one, in Nutritional Sciences and one in Plant Sciences. She expects to graduate in 2021. She is an exceptionally organized, meticulous student who has enrolled for course credit doing projects for the Campus Arboretum. Most recently, she has assumed responsibility for curating the arboretum's extensive botanical photo inventory. As the Campus Arboretum photographer, she ensure all plants in the collection have botanically identifying photos, publishes these to the web and maintains accuracy of all records, including updating current taxonomic classification in the database. As a member of the board, Bethany assists by organizing meetings, compiling the agenda, taking minutes and providing valuable perspectives and insights.
Judith Ratliff (MLA, UA 1991) has been designing Tucson landscapes for 25 years. She's also known for the articles she's written on plantings, design issues and architecture for various publications.
Bob Hutchinson, retired faculty University of Louisiana
Paulina Jenney, University of Arizona Undergraduate, Class of 2016
Caitlin Brown, University of Arizona Undergraduate, Class of 2019
Caryl Clement, Landscape Architect, Tucson, AZ
Doug Holland, Pima Co. Master Gardener, Tucson, AZ
Woodford Remencus, Landscape Manager, University of Arizona Facilities Management
Matt Anderson, Grounds Superintendent, University of Arizona Facilities Management
Sarah Davis, Retired Coronado National Forest LA/NR
Renate Delay, Community Representative
Frank Soltys, Alumnus University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Science
Alan Myklebust, TUSD, and Blenem Elm Neighborhood Connection, Member of Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society,
Julie Wiens, Horticulturalist, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
Bob Preble, retired University of Arizona Facilities Management
Irene Ogata, Landscape Architect and City of Tucson Planning Office (1st urban landscape manager in Tucson City Gov't)
Patsy Waterings, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Water Conservation
Chris Monrad, Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society (founding member), Monrad Engineering, Tucson AZ
Eric Scharf, Landscape Architect Wheat-Scharf Associates, Tucson, AZ
