Water Resources & Conservation Staff

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Tamara Lawless - Water Conservation Manager aka Conservation Pirate

Tamara has been with the City of Flagstaff since 2013, working on Water Conservation and Sustainability. She currently manages the Water Conservation Program staff, policies, rebate programs and public outreach events. Her passion for the environmental field was sparked in her hometown of Madison, Wisconsin where she earned a B.S. in Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies from the University of Wisconsin Madison. She also holds an M.S. in Environmental Education from the Expedition Education Institute and a Ph.D. in Sustainability from Arizona State University.  As her appetite for adventure sometimes gets carried away, she can often be found wearing a cast or brace on one or more of her limbs.
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Emily Melhorn - Water Conservation Specialist aka Conservation Rogue

Emily started as the Water Conservation Aide in June 2020. In this position, Emily enjoys educating the public about water conservation techniques and city resources. She has a BA in Creative Writing from Hamilton College, an MA in Sustainable Communities and MS in Applied Geospatial Sciences from Northern Arizona University. Alongside her work with the City of Flagstaff, Emily also works in sustainable gardening as a Master Gardener and plastics reduction and zero waste programs. Prior to joining the team, Emily has also worked in active transportation, the arts community, tourism, and land use planning and advocacy in Flagstaff. She thinks that a generalist or "jack of all trades" approach to conservation and sustainability is important  for most efficient use of our resources.  Outside of work, Emily enjoys travel, being outdoors, writing, and laughing at very bad movies. 


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Bob Rukavina - Water Conservation Enforcement Officer aka GTO

Bob has served as a water conversation aide with Flagstaff’s Water Services Department since 2014. In his position, he enjoys educating Flagstaff’s citizens about the City’s water conversation efforts which include policy enforcement and implementation of water conservation incentive programs. He appreciates the opportunity to work outdoors, discuss water conservation, and help preserve our community’s water resources.
Since 1976 Bob has worked in various water resource fields including water treatment, wastewater treatment, and water reclamation, as well as having coordinated numerous projects with public utilities and governmental agencies in Minnesota and Arizona. In his current position with Flagstaff, Bob brings a strong history of water resource management.

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Erin Young - Water Resources Manager

Erin Young, the Water Resources Manager for the City of Flagstaff, oversees the Water Resources Section of Water Services. Her work includes managing all aspects of water supply planning from water demand accounting and demand forecasting to monitoring water supplies, developing new water supplies, and securing water rights for the City. She has a B.S. in Geology from Arizona State University (2000) and an M.S. in Geology from Northern Arizona University (2006). Prior to being hired by the City Erin had spent 11 years working as a hydrologist for consulting firms focused mostly on groundwater development and recharge projects, as well as regulatory permitting assistance under numerous ADWR and ADEQ programs. Erin is a registered geologist in Arizona (AZ Reg. No. 49661). Aside from work life, Erin is a mom, plays hockey, loves to ski and recently started playing tennis. Erin traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, in January 2018, with her daughter. The experience of the water crisis was surreal and ever solidified the tenets of water management in Erin's work for Flagstaff.