PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality announced today the appointment of Bret Parke, currently General Counsel for the State’s Department of Administration, as the agency’s deputy director. In his new capacity, Mr. Parke will serve as chief of staff to ADEQ Director Misael Cabrera and oversee the agency’s operations, including its budget and administrative support functions.

The appointment, effective Oct. 26, 2015, marks a return to ADEQ for Mr. Parke, who began his legal career as a staff attorney for the agency before eventually becoming its Administrative Counsel in 2010. He held that post until April 2012 when he was named ADOA General Counsel, where he provided legal advice on the state’s myriad administrative practices – everything from procurement and risk management to government accounting and finance, state facilities construction, IT security, and employment and personnel services. As General Counsel, Mr. Parke also chaired the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council, which oversees and approves adoption of state agency rules.

As Administrative Counsel at ADEQ, Mr. Parke served as the top legal advisor to the agency director. He also chaired five internal committees, managed ADEQ’s Strategic Enforcement Unit and was the agency’s representative on the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee.

“Bret wore many hats during his eight-year tenure with ADEQ, and his commitment to public service is evident in his 11-year career in Arizona government,” Director Cabrera said. “It’s Bret’s passion for ADEQ’s mission – his irrepressible drive to do more environmental good – that brings him back to ADEQ. His perspective and many of his qualities are quite similar to our former director, Henry Darwin, who was widely admired and respected both inside and outside of ADEQ,” Cabrera added.