Benjamin H. Grumbles
Director
(602) 771-2203
(800) 234-5677

Ben Grumbles became Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality in June 2009. Prior to that, he served for three months as an environmental policy advisor to Governor Jan Brewer.

Mr. Grumbles is the former Assistant Administrator for Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., where he was nominated by former President George W. Bush, confirmed by the Senate, and led EPA's National Water Program for the longest time of any Assistant Administrator in the history of the Agency (January 2004-January 2009). He managed a $3.6 billion program of 2,100 full-time employees for carrying out the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act and oversaw EPA's American Indian Environmental Office, with air, water, waste, and watershed responsibilities throughout the Agency's 10 regions. He also served as Associate Administrator for EPA's Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations in 2004, working with mayors, governors, and state and federal legislators.

Prior to his position with EPA, Ben worked in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Senior Counsel for the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Environmental Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff for the Science Committee. During his 16 years on Capitol Hill (1985-2001), Mr. Grumbles participated extensively in reauthorizations and investigations of the nation's environmental, water resources, and energy laws.

He also taught for 10 years at the Environmental Law Program of George Washington University Law School from 1994 to 2004.

Ben has a B.A. degree in English from Wake Forest University in North Carolina, a J.D. degree from Emory Law School in Georgia, and an LL.M (Masters) degree in environmental law from George Washington Law School in Washington, D.C.

He is a Member of the Board of Directors of River of Words, a nonprofit, nationally-acclaimed organization devoted to children's poetry, art and environmental education. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Clean Water America Alliance, a nonprofit educational organization uniting governments, organizations, and citizens in support of protecting and sustaining watersheds.

Ben and his wife and two children are four of Arizona's newest residents, although they're hardly newcomers. Over the last 30 years, all of Ben's family has moved to Arizona, establishing roots in Tucson, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Prescott.

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