Marybeth Carlile has announced her retirement as Executive Director of the Southern Arizona Water Resources Association, effective December 31. Carlile has been SAWARA's executive director since its founding in 1982.
The retirement comes as SAWARA reaches a crossroad. Originally formed to assure the timely completion of the Central Arizona Project to Pima County, SAWARA was phasing out of existence in 1993 when problems with CAP water quality caused its board to reconsider. A search for Carlile's successor awaits a board decision on the organization's future. Currently, a committee is considering various options, including reconstituting SAWARA so that it can directly engage in lobbying activities.

Grant Ward has left the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, where he was assistant general manager, to become general manager of the Maricopa-Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District. The open ing at Maricopa-Stanfield was created when Van Tenney left for a similar position with a California district (see April-May AWR, p. 9).
Ward had been with the CAWCD since November 1991, when he arrived from a position with the Agri-Business Council of Arizona. CAWCD currently is interviewing candidates for the assistant manager position. Several prominent names in Arizona water cir cles reportedly have expressed interest.

Larry MacDonnell has joined with Bruce Driver to form a consulting firm called Sustainability Initiatives in Boulder, Colorado. MacDonnell recently retired from an 11-year stint as director of the Natura l Resources Law Center at the University of Colorado School of Law, a position now held by Betsy Reike. Driver's most recent activities include four years as director of the Energy Project at the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies. Prev ious to that, he helped formulate water policy for the Western Governors Association.

Bill Mee's position as head of the Water Conservation and Resources Division, Phoenix Water Services Department, has been eliminated. The move came following the transfer of staff responsible for rate-making and budgeting from Phoenix's Water Services Department to the City's finance office. Mee has joined the Phoenix Planning Office on special assignment.