Changes in Arizona land department leadership

This past December, Governor Fife Symington announced the appointment of J. Dennis Wells as Commissioner of the Arizona State Land Department and Michael E. Anable as deputy commissioner. Wells took over for retiring Land Commissioner Jean Hassell.

At the time of his appointment Dennis Wells had been acting commissioner since February of 1995.

Wells is a native of Arizona. His family moved westward and settled there in 1913. He is a graduate of Northern Arizona University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1973 and returned to receive his Masters in Public Administration in 1983.

Wells served on the Coconino County Board of Supervisors in Flagstaff for 18 years, from 1977 to February 1995, three years as Chair and three years as vice-chair. In the private sector, Wells worked as an investment banker, managing the Flagstaff office of Peacock, Hislop, Staley and Given, Arizona's largest investment banking and retail brokerage firm.

In the early part of his career, Wells used his geology training while working for Dresser Industries. He worked in the oil fields of Africa and Iran before returning to Arizona in 1975 to further his education and run for public office.

Serving with Wells, Michael E. Anable is the newly appointed deputy commissioner. Anable earned his Bachelor of Science in Renewable Natural Resources, with an emphasis on Range Management from the University of Arizona in 1987. He received his Masters of Science in Renewable Natural Resources with an emphasis on policy and economics from the same university in 1990. Nine years of varied work experience with state and federal land management agencies at the field, policy development, research and program management levels took him to California and Nevada as well as Arizona.

From 1994 to just prior to his appointment, Anable was Legislative liaison for the Arizona State Land Department. In addition, he served as a Range Conservationist for the Lake Mead National Recreational Area from 1993 to 1994.

Michael is an outdoor enthusiast who is also active in the Member Society of Range Management. He serves on the Board of Directors for Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity.

Both Wells and Anable face many challenges in their term of service to the Land Department which include increasing the permanent school fund as well as maintaining positive working relationships with farmers and ranchers.