State Archives

Women’s History Month, we look back not just to honor the past, but to recognize how the strength, vision, and dedication of countless women have fundamentally shaped Arizona State Parks and Trails. From the highest leadership positions to the hands-on work of conservation and historic preservation, women have made a profound and positive impact on our state’s outdoor recreation, natural resources, and shared history. Our agency, and the beautiful and historic places we protect, are undeniably better today because of their trailblazing contributions.

Milestone Makers and Agency Pioneers

Women who broke barriers and built the foundation for the modern Arizona State Parks system.

• In 1957, Frances Weedon was the sole woman appointed to the first-ever Arizona State Parks Board of Directors, lending a crucial voice to the agency’s earliest days. Her contributions paved the way for Josephine Bailey, who would chair the board in 1979.
• The tradition of female leadership in the parks themselves was set by Clarissa Winsor, the curator who became one of the first park managers when she opened the doors to Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park in 1961. This paved the way for women like Karen Berggren, the first park manager of Homolovi State Park when it opened to the public in 1993.
• In the early days of the outdoor recreation industry, few women worked among the park ranger ranks. At Arizona State Parks and Trails, Lucille German achieved a major milestone in 1970 as the first female park ranger in the entire state park agency, hired at Fort Verde State Historic Park.
• Dark days were those of the Great Recession, but Renee Bahl served as the first female director of Arizona State Parks and Trails in 2009. She expertly navigated the agency through a tumultuous time of recession, securing agreements with partners to keep parks open and ensuring the agency’s future stability. Today, that legacy of leadership continues with women like Sarah Webber, our current deputy director.

Conserving Arizona’s Unique Treasures

Ensuring that both our historic structures and natural landscapes would endure for generations.

• Elisabeth Ruffner was a powerhouse of preservation, co-founding the Arizona Preservation Foundation in 1979, a nonprofit that works closely with the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) today. Her work helped secure listings for over 700 historic buildings on the National Register of Historic Places — a function SHPO serves today to recognize the physical places that hold the stories of our state. Similarly, Edna Landin championed the preservation of the Tombstone Courthouse, advocating for preservation ordinances and led fundraising for the restoration of what is today Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park. Both women are Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame Inductees.
• A shining example of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), Joanne Roberts, resource ecologist and conservation biologist, directed the implementation of natural resource management plans across 30 of our state park properties as program manager and Ecologist from 2004-2009. Her work ensured a scientific approach to stewarding our state parks and natural areas. Today she serves as the president of the Friends of the San Pedro River.
• We must also acknowledge the advocacy of individuals like Beverly Miller, Flagstaff resident who was married to longtime Arizona State Parks Board member Duane Miller. Her deep commitment to our state parks was the primary reason Riordan Mansion State Historic Park was donated to the State Parks Board.

Executive Champions for State Parks

These female governors directed actions of Arizona’s executive branch that turned dreams of parks and protected places into reality.

• Governor Rose Mofford, the first woman to become governor in Arizona, signed the bills to acquire Kartchner Caverns in 1988 and Tonto Natural Bridge in 1990. These two state parks are some of our state’s most spectacular natural sites.
• Governor Jane Hull presided over the grand opening of Kartchner Caverns in 1999, celebrating the long-lasting conservation efforts and enduring access to this geological wonder. Governor Janet Napolitano presided over the grand opening of the famous Big Room in 2003.
• Governor Katie Hobbs held the dedication ceremony on February 8, 2024, to open Arizona’s newest state park, Rockin’ River Ranch in Camp Verde. During the ceremony, she recognized another woman influential in Arizona’s public lands, Janice Miano. Janice, the namesake of the Miano Trail at the park, is an environmental advocate, past president of the Arizona Audubon Council, and board member of the Arizona Heritage Alliance.

The impact of these women as leaders, park managers, preservationists, scientists, and advocates is woven into the very fabric of Arizona State Parks and Trails. Their work has created access to outdoor recreation, safeguarded irreplaceable historic sites and artifacts, and protected the natural beauty of our state. Thanks to their contributions, the legacy of Arizona’s lands endures for all who call this place home.