This is a Virtual Wall of Honor for LID leadership in the Sonoran Desert. The LID Working Group has engaged in many conversations about what projects and model sites are in the Tucson region, who community mentors are, and who the current local influencers are in the field. At the Fall 2015 LID Conference, we awarded representatives of the LID Case Studies in a ceremony and with plaques to share their efforts as a demonstration to others. At the Spring 2021 UA State of the Art in Green Infrastructure Research & Practice Workshop, we kicked off an announcement to brainstorm and nominate local leaders. We held a second LID awards ceremony in a forum held in collaboration with the Santa Cruz Watershed Collaborative in the Spring of 2023. There we again awarded entities who contributed to the Case Studies and we added a new aspect of honoring specific people with a Certificate of Excellence who had been influential in the formation of our working group and a dear friend who was taken from us too soon and who had an incredible impact on our members, community, and field of practice.
Webpage in Development
We share this certificate of appreciation to Dr. Evan Canfield for his career’s work which included incorporating LID into water planning.
Some highlights include the City/County Water and Wastewater Infrastructure, Supply, and Planning (2008-2010) while working at the Pima County Regional Flood Control District. He then partnered with Irene Ogata at the City of Tucson to move the goals forward into action
He initiated the Pima County LID Working Group in 2011 and led it through 2016.
The studies that he helped to lead have been key to integrating LID innovations into a new standard including quantifying economic benefits in an arid setting, calculating the geographic scales that are most effective for water harvesting, and the impact of LID on flooding.
As a colleague, we know you to be collaborative across disciplines, from flood control to water quality and water resources, with researchers and local governments alike. His visionary nature has been influential across the West. We appreciate both your creativity and generosity over the years.
We share another leadership award with Ann Moynihan who also retired this year. Thank you for always working to share your knowledge
Ann worked at the Pima County Regional Flood Control District from 2007 until recently.
She incorporated LID into flood control planning with key projects like the 2015 Detention/Retention Manual, which was enhanced to include LID, and she tirelessly promoted its adoption regionally. She did this in part by developing a calculation for PC's first flush capture of ½” rainfall, a requirement adopted by BoS.
Ann spearheaded the 2011 and 2015 LID Workshops, the latter of which we presented our first set of LID Awards.
Ann, your colleagues thank you for your organization, focus, and kindness.
We present our final award to the family of Dr. Thomas Meixner in his memory. He made a huge impact on our community.
This certificate of excellence, also signed by Mayor Romero and Pima County Board of Supervisors Chair, Adelita S. Grijalva is awarded to our dear colleague and friend, for being a dedicated educator, researcher, and community leader, inspiring innovation and mentoring new generations of professionals to preserve the precious water resources in our arid environment including applying the science toward the practice of Low Impact Development.
His energy was as brilliant as his mind, his generosity was felt by many.
We want his family to know his broad professional reach, as he was a bridge builder between academia, non-profits, and governments. His influence continues through his projects, students, and colleagues.
This certificate is our first step in helping to create a physical memorial for him. The certificate was presented to and received by his doctoral student, Neha Gupta, at the ceremony.
See the award-winning Case Studies here: Case Studies | Pima County, AZ
More info to come about the people and sites who were provided the Certificate of Excellence. Their sites were provided with a sign to post outdoors for added recognition.
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To nominate a leader or contribute a unique type of site or sector that is not yet covered in the Case Studies, please contact us!