CWAG Board
Gary Beverly - Executive Committee & Public Policy
Gary Beverly holds a PhD degree in Physical Chemistry from the University of California. Since moving to Prescott in 1974, he taught physical science and alternative energy at Yavapai College, then worked as a farmer, contractor, and businessman.
Since retiring, he is an environmental activist focused on protecting the Verde River. He joined CWAG in 2010.
Ralph Hess, Executive Committee
Ralph Hess has been a resident of Prescott since 1991. He retired in 2011 as a full time judge pro tem with the Yavapai County Superior Court. Prior to his appointment as a full time judge pro tem, Judge Hess served as a part-time juvenile drug court commissioner pro tem for Yavapai County Superior Court.
Ralph moved to Prescott to become an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Prescott representing the then self-insured municipality in civil rights, personal injury, workers’ compensation, employment, contract, condemnation, zoning, and election matters. He has served on the boards of the Prescott Area Habitat for Humanity, Prescott Fine Arts Association (now Prescott Center for the Arts), and Ecosa. He was a member of Yavapai County Sheriff's Search and Recovery Scuba Unit. Prior to moving to Prescott, Judge Hess engaged in private general legal practices in Maricopa County. He received a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Toledo and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Bowling Green State University majoring in mathematics.
In retirement, Ralph has been supportive of various civil liberty, environmental, and non-violence causes. Locally, he has participated with Occupy Prescott, the disbanded local chapter of Veterans for Peace, the Tom Pettit Chapter, Yavapai County Climate Change Coalition, Save the Dells, and others. He is a member of CWAG and looks forward to working with the CWAG board and members in his new role.
Peter Kroopnick, Science Committee Chair
Dr. Peter Kroopnick retired to Prescott in 2009 and promptly joined CWAG. He is currently serving as head of the Science Committee and a member of the Board of Directors. Before his retirement, he was a practicing hydrogeologist for a major engineering company and an instructor in Hydrogeology at Arizona State University. He specializes in groundwater modeling and environmental chemistry.
Pete earned his PhD from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, went on to teach and conduct research at the University of Hawaii before leaving academia for private practice at Exxon Production Research and several large engineering companies active in groundwater contamination and resource exploration.
He has served as President of the Arizona Hydrological Society and is currently active in both this organization as well as Prescott Creeks. For pleasure he works as a volunteer Park Ranger for the City of Prescott and can be found most days biking on one of the many excellent single track trails in the Prescott National Forest.
Leslie Hoy - Public Relations
Leslie Hoy holds a bachelor's degree in Russian Language and Literature from the University of Wyoming, where she was an editor for the Water Resources Research Institute.
She later owned a retail store and a management training firm. She retired to Prescott in 1999 and is a founding member of CWAG.
Fred Oswald, Treasurer
Fred Oswald has bachelor and masters degrees in mechanical engineering and was a certified Professional Engineer. In 2013 he retired from NASA in Cleveland and moved to Prescott. He joined CWAG in 2014 and serves on the CWAG Board. Fred has also been a volunteer naturalist at the Highlands Center for Natural History with a special interests in hiking, astronomy and Prescott's fascinating geology.
Paul Glaves
Paul Glaves was raised in Houston, TX. He received all of his formal education in Houston, including completing 2 degrees in Chemical Engineering. After working in various positions at various engineering companies for 40 years, Paul retired to Prescott. In his last two decades working, he became involved in calculating real-time are emissions from hydrocarbon facilities, including gas facilities, refineries and chemical plants. For 7 years during this time, Paul became a subject matter expert (SME) for oil and gas client for 7 years regarding EPA mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for upstream gas producing facilities. Led team producing annual reports using field data for 6 years.
Paul is married to Jo. They had two kids. Their youngest, Katherine, attended Prescott College from 2007-2010. Their oldest, Eric, is a registered professional land surveyor.
Current member of Prescott Audubon Society (PAS), Prescott Creeks and PAS representative to Upper Agua Fria Watershed Partnership (UAFWP). Paul joined CWAG in 2021 and has been attending meetings as well as Science and Policy committee meetings to wrap his head around the challenges for both the quantity and quality of our water in Prescott.
Tom Sands
Tom Sands, P.E., R.L.S. retired after a 37-year career as a Water Resource Engineer with SRP in Phoenix. During that tenure he led efforts to develop SRP’s first Long-Range Water Plan, developed and utilized mathematical flow models, worked with local municipalities to utilize their SRP water allocations and Co-Chaired the Municipal and Industrial Drought Planning Committee for Governor Napolitano’s Arizona Drought Plan.
He also served as Project Manager for the rehabilitation of SRP’s C.C. Cragin (Blue Ridge) Water Project, which collects and transports water to the East Verde River where a portion is diverted to the Town of Payson for their municipal use. He has briefed state and federal elected officials on water issues, helped write legislation and served on SRP’s PIC political action committee.
Sands was named a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers where he served
as chairman of their national committees on Water Resource Planning and Urban Water
Resources. The Arizona Water Association named him their 2010 Engineer of the Year for his water resource related contributions within Arizona. In retirement, he has directed water resource studies and overseen well drilling efforts on Boy Scout summer camp properties.
His education includes a B.S. Degree in Civil Engineering from Arizona State University
with graduate studies in hydrology and water resource engineering.
Truly Bracken
Truly is a retired Environmental Attorney and emeritus member of Georgia State Bar with a Juris Doctor 1976 from Emory University School of Law. Truly's environmental experience included both Superfund and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act issues involving the disposal of solid and hazardous waste.
She retired in 2002 after a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, now in remission. She stayed home with her children while they were young.
Truly has long been interested in water issues. For recreation, she hikes and has frequently canoed the Verde River through the wilderness section, as well as the Salt River and other rivers throughout the Western US, Alaska and Canada.
Greg Stein
Greg was born and raised in Detroit and while earning a BS in Marketing at the University of Detroit, he was drafted into the Army and sent to Vietnam where he was promptly blown up, earning a Bronze Star and Purple Heart in the process. He then completed an MBA and entered the corporate world in marketing and advertising. He built his career calling on GM, Ford and Chrysler, and also generating business from DuPont, Unisys, AAA and Colgate. Highlights include heading up Young & Rubicam's largest account, Lincoln Mercury and later heading up
strategy on Ford worldwide. He then moved to work directly for VW as their head of marketing
and communications in the U.S.
Twenty-two years ago he joined a career transition firm, helping people to find
their next new position or industry. Ten years later, that segued into helping people find the
best way to work for themselves. As a franchise consultant, representing over 300 different
franchises in 30 industries, he makes customized recommendations to his clients.
At about the same time he moved to the mountains of Arizona to escape Michigan. Continuing
to work in the franchise business, he also volunteered in many different organizations, including
5+ years as a victim advocate with the Yavapai County Attorney's office, two years as a Prescott
City Hall Ambassador, and registering many people to vote as a member of the League of
Women Voters, and of course CWAG participation.