Staff and Programs

The Southern Arizona Office (SOAR) supports Arizona parks, monuments, memorials, and so on. Read below for what we do, and who to contact for project partnerships. Then, give us a call: 602-794-3815.

Administration

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Patrick Putnam, Superintendent

As SOAR Superintendent and Arizona State Coordinator, Patrick supports parks' needs. Meeting the National Park Service mission for all of Arizona's parks takes a great deal of customer service and continuation of the SOAR model. Patrick brings a passion for recreation and resource management along with a wealth of experience in land management within the state of Arizona.

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Ryan Isaac, Administrative Officer

Ryan oversees business operations for the Southern Arizona Group by supervising a staff of technical experts involved in budget planning/execution, workforce management, and administrative processes. He is responsible for establishing branch priorities and developing operating policies and procedures. Ryan designs and conducts studies to measure the effectiveness of strategic business objectives and makes recommendations for progressing the success of key initiatives. He supports AZ NPS units as the manager for the Southwest Border Resource Restoration Project (SWBRRP) found source. He also serves as a member of the IMR Administrative Advisory Council (2019-2023).

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Tina Rios, Budget Analyst

Tina is responsible for duties related to formulating, executing, and monitoring financial plans and policies affecting the Southern Arizona Group. She assists program managers with financial plans, setting up programs by appropriation, object classes, and providing information on salary calculations and employment ceilings. Tina maintains expert knowledge of appropriations law, authorizing language, appropriations ceilings and related factors for our office with many disparate programs and projects.

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Jason VanBuskirk, Administrative Specialist

Jason manages the operational demands of the Southern Arizona Group as the senior advisor on procedures and processes related to acquisitions and procurement, energy cost and consumption, fleet, property, and housing management. He provides oversight to administrative support staff within our group and technical advice and guidance to staff across the region on payroll and travel policy. Jason’s positive attitude and well developed understanding of administrative processes are invaluable in assisting parks!

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Susan White, Administrative Support Assistant

Susan is the frontline point of contact for internal and external customers of the Southern Arizona Office. She serves as the expert for supply expenditures, records management, property, timekeeping, travel and maintaining the central filing system. She provides day-to-day support for SOAR leadership by scheduling meetings with stakeholders. She works directly with SOAR supervisors and HR professionals at the Arizona SHRO to expedite personnel actions and manage other human resources activities in systems.

Resource Management

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Matt Guebard, Integrated Resource Manager

Matt leads the SOAR resources team. He is responsible for assisting parks with historic preservation planning, cultural resource project management, and NHPA compliance. He heads up the Technical Assistance Request (TAR) distribution for SOAR.
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Jake DeGayner, Geographer

Jake helps Southern Arizona and other parks throughout the Region with managing their GIS programs and projects. He specializes in spatial documentation techniques such as terrestrial laser scanning and digital photogrammetry, and conducts projects using these technologies in southwest National Park units.
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Photo Credit: University of Arizona

Sharlot Hart, Archeologist

Sharlot serves Arizona's park units by aiding in cultural resource management and information managment. She can administer agreements as an Agreements Technical Representative (ATR) or facilitate archaeological compliance projects. Sharlot also manages SOAR's website, creates visual media, and aims to bring the best, current, data about our resources to frontline interpreters.

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Stephanie MacDonald, Environmental Protection Specialist

Stephanie supports Arizona's parks overseeing the environmental management processes and procedures and associated compliance. She provides guidance for the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), Wilderness Act, Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), and all associated fieldwork and documentation.
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Kara Raymond, Hydrologist

Kara provides natural resource support to parks in Southern Arizona. Her specialty is in hydrology and aquatic ecology, and she assists with a wide variety of projects through NEPA compliance, project planning, and educational material development.
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Iraida Rodriguez, Archeologist

Iraida provides support to the resources division of SOAR by assisting in GIS projects and 3D digital documentation of cultural resources for the southwest national park units. She also assists parks with cultural compliance needs and on-site project direction.

Facilities Management

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Duane Hubbard, Facility Program Manager

Duane also serves as the regional Facilities lead for Arizona. He manages two branches of the SOAR FM Division: Asset Management Specialists and Project Managers. The primary functions of the division are to encourage comprehensive park portfolio management that results in the development and upkeep of Facility Investment Plans, reduce Deferred Maintenance and Repair through cyclic maintenance programs, respond to maintenance emergencies, and plan/execute projects. Duane has spent 30 years working for the NPS, serving as an Archaeologist, Resource Manager, and Superintendent.
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Beth Roberts, AZ PAMO Lead

Beth works with the SOAR office as the FMSS Lead for Arizona parks, supporting them through guidance in asset management data quality, inventory management, project development, and work tracking and planning. She also provides regional Cultural Landscape Inventory-FMSS support, FMSS Training support and property management support in FBMS.

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Nicole Berry, Facility Management Systems Specialist

Nicole is the FMSS specialist for Southeast Arizona parks and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. She supports the parks with asset management and inventory, work order processing, and project development.

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Theodore Corcoran, Project Manager

LCDR Theodore (Ted) Corcoran was selected to fill the position of Project Manager at the SOAR Office. Yes, he is back.! He was a Public Health Consultant for short time, just over a year for 30 parks. He learned a lot during the COVID pandemic and understanding and implementing Public Health issues. He provides sound advice and guidance on the planning, designing, and construction of facilities, water, waste water, & sanitary systems, ensuring that projects were appropriate to support the NPS & IHS missions.
Nick Huck

Nick Huck, Project Manager (Trails)

Nick is a Project Manager with a focus on trails who provides support for the Inter-Mountain Region. He assists parks performing trail assessments, developing trail maintenance and construction projects, long range plans/schedules for facility investment plans, and identifying appropriate crews to execute trail projects. He lives in Tucson with his wife.
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Sierra Raine Lohr, Facility Management Systems Specialist

Sierra is the FMSS specialist for Montezuma Castle, Tuzigoot and Tonto National Monuments, and Petrified Forest National Park. She supports the parks with asset management and inventory, database management, work order processing, and project development. Sierra also provides FMSS training support through the Asset Management Program training team.
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Kayla DeVault Wendt, Project Manager

LT Kayla DeVault Wendt, EI, MS, MPH/CPH, MDiv-forthcoming (Shawnee/Anishinaabe) is a U.S. Public Health Commissioned Officer detailed to the NPS as a Project Manager. She works in Civil Engineering with specialties in Geotechnical and Enviornmental sectors and experience in structural inspection as well as sustainable energy development. She is multidisciplinary engineering with a cultural and environmental resources background and looks to incorporate her graduate work in American Indian Studies/Policy, Public Health, and Divinity.
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Theo Ramlal, Project Coordinator

Theo is a Project Coordinator who provides support to the Southern Arizona Project Managers. He also assists the Inter-Mountain Region with asset management data efforts and initiatives.
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Nick Smith, Facility Management Systems Specialist

Nick is the FMSS specialist for Saguaro National Park, Tumacacori National Historical Park and Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. He helps with project development and management of the FMSS database for these parks. He lives in Tucson with his wife and three children.

Information Technology

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Brian Green, IT Specialist

Brian's position is a simple one: work to make sure that users can work. Whether it is fixing a broken computer or making sure the park's network is operational, if it is computer related, he's the support desk.

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