Former WRRC Colleague Retiring from U of A
Congratulations to Pima County Cooperative Extension Director Claire Zucker on her upcoming retirement from the University of Arizona. Zucker came to the U of A in 2015 to work at the WRRC as Program Director of the Water, Environmental, Energy Solutions (WEES) Initiative. In 2018, while continuing her work with WEES, she took on a concurrent position as WRRC Associate Director. In these roles, she worked alongside other U of A faculty to advance water and sustainability research, provided public education about statewide water resources policy, and coordinated numerous public presentations and conferences.
In July 2020, Zucker moved on to become Director of Pima County Cooperative Extension (PCCE). During her five years as PCCE Director, she worked to build internal and external support and understanding of Pima County Extension’s unique programming. Zucker’s efforts led to an increase in Extension's collaboration with the county, creating a mutually beneficial arrangement that advances Extension’s impact on the region, and improved communication strategies, including development of an annual report and a bi-monthly newsletter that now has 17,000 subscribers. Working together with faculty and staff, she built cohesion in the unit and served as an advocate and mentor for programs and employees.
Prior to joining the U of A, Zucker had a 22-year career in regional planning at Pima Association of Governments (PAG). While at PAG, she worked at the interface between environmental resource management and urban planning with an emphasis on watershed planning and regional engagement, finishing her time there as Director of the Sustainable Environment Program. Zucker’s expertise encompasses groundwater and surface water hydrology, stormwater management, regional wastewater planning, sustainability, energy, and transportation topics.
While it is hard for us to say farewell to Claire, a longtime friend and collaborator, we wish her all the best in this new chapter, wherever it may lead.