Dr. Anna H. Spitz

Dr. Anna H. Spitz was the original Executive Director of the Haury Program, hired in 2014 to create and lead the Haury Program. Working closely with the DAF Board over the initial years, she developed and implemented the program, setting up a framework based on community-university partnerships to address the “wicked problems” in environmental and social justice. Dr. Spitz led with a strong vision that to achieve environmental and social justice, communities must be given the opportunity to share leadership with university experts. She emphasized investing in innovative approaches, developing strong teams and communication skills, and centered the Haury Program work around climate justice. She served in the role of Haury Program Executive Director from 2014 to 2019 developing the policies and foundations for trust-based partnerships that continue today as key to the program. 

One evidence of the strength of her legacy and credibility was that in 2020, the Haury Program was able to build from those initial five years of relationships to smoothly pivot focus during the COVID pandemic to supporting Indigenous Education, Outreach and Research, the current Haury Indigenous Resilience Initiative.

Dr Anna H. Spitz earned her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona  Geosciences/LPL in 1991. Dr. Spitz continues her service to the community through multiple local and national nonprofit organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors of Sonora Environmental Research Institute, Inc (SERI), which she co-founded. She is an avid tennis player and adventurer.