Tom Buschatzke will remain as director of the state Department of Water Resources. || Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs’ Office
By Mary Jo Pitzl || The Arizona Republic
Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs is retaining the state’s top water official, keeping Tom Buschatzke on board as director of the Department of Water Resources at a time when water issues are of paramount concern in Arizona.
Buschatzke is one of five appointments Hobbs announced Wednesday as she continues to build out her Cabinet ahead of her Jan. 2 inauguration.
“Creating a Resilient Arizona means tackling some of the toughest problems we face as a state,” she said in a statement. “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.”
Buschatzke has 40 years of experience in water issues and was appointed head of the state’s water agency by Gov. Doug Ducey in 2015. He has been involved in crafting some of the state’s major water-related legislation in recent years, including the 2019 Drought Contingency Plan and this year’s $1 billion investment for water projects.
