Governor Ducey Taps Colorado's Bob Broscheid as Arizona Parks Director

Broscheid arrives in a broken house.

January 11, 2019

Bob Broscheid testifies before Congress on the Endangered Species Act. C-Span

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Governor Doug Ducey on Friday hired former Colorado parks chief Robert Broscheid to head the Arizona Parks department.

Broscheid will replace interim Parks Director Ted Vogt, who filled the role after Ducey fired former Parks Director Sue Black. Vogt will serve as the new Director of Gaming.

"These parks belong to everybody, and my top priorities will be to help preserve and protect these natural resources for the enjoyment of all visitors,” Broscheid said in a statement.

Since 2013, Broscheid has served as director and chief executive officer of Colorado Parks & Wildlife, having been appointed to the position by former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper.

"Bob is an incredible leader with a strong vision, and will serve the people of Arizona extremely well and with the highest integrity,” Hickenlooper, a Democrat, said in a statement.

Before his time in Colorado, Broscheid worked at Arizona Game in Fish for 18 years, serving for some time as deputy director.

He comes to Arizona Parks after years of turmoil in the department. Former director Black and deputy director James Keegan were fired late last year after Phoenix New Times reported that the department routinely ignored laws protecting archaeological sites, including sites containing native antiquities.

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich opened a criminal investigation related to cases of antiquities destruction by Parks, which were brought to light by a whistleblower. On top of the criminal investigation, Black’s Parks department faced numerous human resources investigations from the Ducey administration, the Arizona Republic first reported.

Parks holds a bachelor's degree in wildlife conservation biology from Arizona State University, according to an online biography. He is also a graduate of the National Conservation Leadership Institute, a West Virginia-based fellowship program that describes itself as "one of the most far-reaching professional development initiatives ever undertaken within the natural resource conservation community."

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