By David Abott | Tucson Weekly
His monthly board meetings were entertaining and sometimes epic, but now Arizona NORML will have to find a new public face, as Executive Director Mike Robinette has stepped down from his leadership position to ride off into the sunset and enjoy retirement.
In the interim, the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws will be co-chaired by board members Jon Udell and Allison Stein, while the Southern Arizona chapter will depend on its membership to keep going.
“The way he presented information was entertaining and one of our biggest losses is just how great Mike was at holding a crowd and keeping it lighthearted and entertaining while still conveying information,” AZNORML Director of Politics Udell said. “That’s something that’s not really easy to replace, but we’ll do the best we can.”
Robinette has been involved with Arizona NORML since 2018 and founded the Tucson-based southern Arizona chapter in June 2019.
Under his leadership, Robinette has raised the organization’s profile in the Tucson community and in the halls of the State Capitol through his advocacy and lobbying work.