After almost 20 years of managing air high quality in Pinal County, Scott DiBiase started main Pima County’s Division of Environmental High quality beginning Tuesday, officers stated.

The brand new appointee stated he welcomed the transfer south, with Pima being “extra progressive and environmentally acutely aware.”

DiBiase, 53, served as an air high quality supervisor for Pinal County 17 years earlier than turning into the division’s deputy director. In November, DiBiase turned the interim director of Pinal County’s Air High quality Management District.

“I’ve coated all of the bases on the air high quality aspect of issues and have constructed out my expertise,” stated DiBiase. DiBiase earned an undergraduate diploma from the College of Arizona in 1991, and involves job with “established skilled relationships” with many in PDEQ.

“This system managers, they’re skilled, devoted, and wish to do proper for the atmosphere and the residents of Pima County,” he stated. “Pinal and Pima are a little bit completely different. With Pima being extra progressive and environmentally acutely aware, that was interesting to me. We now have an opportunity to decrease greenhouse fuel emissions within the county, and our workers is well-suited to do this,” DiBiase stated.

He’ll exchange interim director Ursula Nelson, a former PDEQ director who returned to the county when Barbara Escobar stepped down in January 2023 because of well being points. Nelson will once more retire on Aug. 4 after a short overlap with DiBiase, officers stated.

“We now have labored with Scott for a few years in his roles with Pinal County, and he involves us with a number of good expertise within the state of Arizona,” Nelson stated. “He’ll be a fantastic asset to Pima County. It is comforting to know I will probably be leaving the division in succesful arms.”

DiBiase was tapped to run PDEQ following a nationwide search, officers stated.

“Though many functions have been acquired, Mr. DiBiase was by far essentially the most certified candidate for the place,” County Administrator Jan Lesher wrote in a memo to the Pima County Board of Supervisors.

DiBiase will oversee a division that has about 40 staff with an annual finances of greater than $1.4 million, officers stated. The division generates round $5 million in annual income, about half from issuing permits and licenses, officers stated. The division displays air high quality, consuming water, stormwater, landfills, and dangerous waste. The division additionally protects the general public with enforcement, strong waste administration, and reaches out the neighborhood with education schemes.

Earlier than becoming a member of Pinal County, DiBiase labored as an air high quality engineer for the Maricopa Affiliation of Governments, as a meteorologist with the New England Climate Service, an air air pollution management engineer with the Connecticut Division of Environmental Safety, and an environmental scientist for Tracer Analysis Company in Tucson.