Board

Dr. Robert Breunig is the President Emeritus of the Museum of Northern Arizona where he was president and the chief executive officer from 2003 to 2015.

Dr. Breunig’s career included working at the Heard Museum in Phoenix as Deputy Director and Chief Curator, and at Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden where he served as Executive Director for nine years.

He left Arizona for a time, serving as Executive Director for California’s Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and, later, for The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.

Nationally, Dr. Breunig was appointed by both President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton to serve on the National Museum and Library Services Board (NMLSB), the governing board of the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences.

In 2012, he received the Individual Award at the 31st Annual Arizona Governor’s Arts Awards and in 2013 was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Northern Arizona University.

He was also the recipient of the Director’s Chair Award from the Western Museums Association in 2014 and in 2015 represented the Museum of Northern Arizona as the institutional recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, presented by First Lady Michelle Obama at a White House ceremony.

Gary Grube is a retired high school teacher and counselor, who following retirement has volunteered at the park for five seasons.

Originally from Kansas, he has also been a cabinet maker and an office manager for his wife, Connie, who is a Certified Public Accountant. They live in the White Mountains, 70 miles south of the park.

As park volunteers, Gary and Connie developed the routes for the Guided Backcountry Hikes program and were the original leaders for those hikes. Gary and Connie hike hundreds of miles each year within the park.

Bich-Hoa Nguyen M.D., a native of Vietnam, is an osteopathic family medical doctor at the Winslow Indian Health Care Center. Her hobbies include birding, hiking cooking, and drawing.

Kevin Dahl serves on the Tucson City Council, representing Ward 3. For 14 years he was Arizona Senior Program Manager for National Parks Conservation Association, including such well-known parks as Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, and Saguaro.

Prior to NPCA, Kevin was executive director of Native Seeds/SEARCH, a regional group that works to preserve the genetic diversity of Southwestern Native American crops.

He was also executive director of the Tucson Audubon Society and Natural Resources Superintendent for Pima County’s Parks and Recreation Department.

An alumnus of both the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, his interest in plants led him to obtain his degree in ethnobotany from Prescott College.

Kevin is the author of Wild Plants of the Sonoran Desert, published by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and Native Harvest: Authentic Southwestern Gardening, published by the Western National Parks Association.

Bill Jeffers is a cattle rancher and a lifelong resident of Navajo County. He serves on the board of directors of the non-profit Petrified Forest Museum Association Board, the group that runs the park’s gift stores.

Bill is also on the Northern Arizona Healthcare Board. He attended the University of Arizona, earning degrees in Economics and Business. Bill has served Arizona as Chairman of the State Transportation Board, a member of the State Appellate Court Commission, and as President of the Arizona Natural Resource Conservation District Association.

The Jeffers’ Ranch borders the Painted Desert on the Park’s northwest boundary and Bill, his wife, Lois, and his sister, Ann, consider the Park to be a partner and a friend.

Before becoming a National Park, a portion of the Jeffers Ranch was included in the boundaries of the Painted Desert, making the status of “National Park” possible, which allowed the park to become a true “gem” and recreational and scientific treasure.

Matt Walters is a retired insurance claims supervisor. He followed up his retirement by volunteering in National Parks. He and his wife, Dorenda, volunteered at Petrified Forest National Park for five winter seasons. They continue to volunteer at National Parks including Death Valley National Park and Katmai National Park.

Matt and Dorenda live in Iowa. They are avid cyclists and hikers. Matt volunteers at other events at home, including the Ronald McDonald House, the Principal Charity Classic, and the Drake Relays. They enjoy the beauty of nature and sharing it with others. While volunteering at Petrified Forest National Park, they led backcountry hikes for four seasons. Both fell in love with the southwest.