For Immediate Release
Contact: Anthony Flint 617-661-3016 x116
Judy Crawford 602-393-4310 x8
PHOENIX, Ariz. (April 29, 2009) – A leading authority on water in the West has been named the new director of a joint venture collaboration between the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Sonoran Institute, focusing on sustainability and quality of life in intermountain western states.
Dr. Jim Holway will direct the partnership in promoting regional scale planning, improving management of state and federal public lands, and integrating energy, transportation, water and conservation infrastructure at a regional level within the urban West. Special focus areas will be Arizona’s Sun Corridor of Phoenix and Tucson, the West Slope of Colorado and the Northern Rockies.
“Jim brings an inherent expertise and understanding of critical western issues to our combined efforts,” said Armando Carbonell, senior fellow and chair of the Department of Planning and Urban Form. “He shares our determination to manage growth and seek a sustainable future for this highly arid region undergoing significant economic and environmental change.”
Holway most recently was director of the sustainability partnership at Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability. He also was a professor of practice in ASU’s School of Sustainability and Department of Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering in the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, and he served as the university’s coordinator for the Arizona Water Institute.
Prior to joining ASU, Holway was assistant director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources where he oversaw regulatory programs and developed water management policy. He earned his PhD and MRP at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.
“Our partnership offers a unique focus to addressing the West’s biggest challenges and Jim recognizes that,” said Luther Propst, executive director of the Sonoran Institute. “He wants to help build management capacity in communities that need it, create knowledge and understanding of what to do by sharing research tools and best practices, and spark the political will to meet challenges head on.”
According to Holway, the two organizations complement each other’s strengths: The Lincoln Institute has a national reputation for its research and innovation in land policy and strong understanding of how public policy impacts land use patterns that, in turn, shape the economy. The Sonoran Institute brings on-the-ground involvement throughout the Intermountain West with extensive experience engaging key stakeholders on growth, natural resources, and public lands management.
“I came to the joint venture because I felt I could make more of a difference here,” he said.
Founded in 1974, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is a leading resource for key issues concerning the use, regulation, and taxation of land. The Lincoln Institute conducts research, holds conferences, provides education and training, undertakes policy evaluations, and publishes books and reports to improve the quality of public debate and decisions in land policy.
The nonprofit Sonoran Institute has inspired, informed, and enabled community decisions and public policies that respect the land and people of western North America since 1990. The Sonoran Institute helps communities conserve and restore natural and cultural assets and manage growth and change through collaboration, civil dialogue, sound information, and big-picture thinking.
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