Join the Heart of the Desert: Become a Member of AZ SALT
November 10, 2025
- (480) 983-3454
- info@azsalt.org
- Mon - Fri: 9:00AM - 5PM
The Superstition Area Land Trust (SALT) is proud to announce the appointment of Maxine Brown as our new Executive Director. Maxine brings a lifetime of experience in public service, regional planning, and community leadership — along with a deep, personal love for Arizona’s landscape and heritage.
Maxine has called Arizona home since her childhood. Her family moved from Iowa to Yuma in 1952, where she quickly fell in love with the desert’s vast beauty and vibrant life. After graduating from high school, she moved to Tucson in 1962, later spending several years in Missouri before returning to Arizona for good in 1992. Now a proud resident of Gold Canyon, Maxine is delighted to spend her retirement years in the place she loves most — surrounded by the spectacular Superstition Mountains.
Maxine’s professional journey is both inspiring and groundbreaking. From 1978 to 1985, she served as Town Manager of Patagonia, Arizona, becoming the first woman to hold that position in the state. During her tenure, she wore many hats — Flood Plain Manager, Elections Officer, and overall steward of the town’s operations. Her leadership and integrity earned her appointments to several Governor’s Commissions, serving under four Arizona Governors: Bruce Babbitt, Fife Symington, Jane Dee Hull, and Janet Napolitano.
Her dedication to community service continued when she became Executive Director of the Southwest Missouri Indian Center (1987–1990), where she worked to promote cultural programs and community support initiatives before returning to Arizona in 1991.
Upon her return, Maxine was appointed Executive Director of the Central Arizona Association of Governments (CAAG) — a position she held until her retirement in 2011. In that role, she oversaw regional planning for Pinal and Gila Counties, coordinating with Boards of Supervisors, 17 city mayors, and three tribal governments. She led a team of 26 professionals, managing regional contracts with the Arizona Department of Transportation, Department of Commerce, Department of Economic Security, and the U.S. Department of Commerce as an Economic Development District. Her work helped strengthen local economies, support sustainable development, and secure vital funding for Arizona communities.
Even in retirement, Maxine has remained an active contributor to the well-being of northern Pinal County through volunteer service and civic engagement. Her energy, wisdom, and passion for Arizona’s people and places make her a perfect fit for SALT’s mission of protecting and celebrating the Superstition Foothills and surrounding desert landscapes.
As Executive Director, Maxine brings both vision and experience to SALT’s ongoing mission to preserve open space, protect the Sonoran Desert ecosystem, and promote responsible stewardship of this irreplaceable landscape. With her proven record of leadership and her lifelong devotion to Arizona, Maxine is poised to guide SALT into a new chapter of growth, collaboration, and community connection.
Please join us in welcoming Maxine Brown to the SALT family — and in celebrating her remarkable journey of service to the land and people of Arizona.
🌵 Welcome, Maxine!
The Superstition Area Land Trust (SALT) works with public agencies to protect vulnerable Sonoran Desert foothills—part of Arizona’s 9 million acres of state trust land—threatened by urban sprawl and managed primarily for revenue.
Donating to the Superstition Area Land Trust (SALT) helps preserve the Sonoran Desert’s fragile foothills, wildlife, and open spaces for future generations.