About Wayne

Wayne moved to Ivins in 2020 from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where he had been Dean of Engineering at Michigan Technological University before retirement. He and his wife of over 45 years, Laura, fell in love with the red rock environment, purchasing a home just in time for the Covid lockdown. He became interested in local issues right away, and when the Dry Wash reservoir was proposed, he felt he should bring his geoscience knowledge to the issue.

Many of you know what Wayne found out about Dry Wash: that the reservoir would annually expose 47 acres of mudflats to the wind, carrying elements that the partially-purified wastewater had precipitated into the sediments, over to the nearby populated areas of Ivins. Later, when a redesigned reservoir called for a high-water level four feet higher than the highest competent rock, Wayne brought this to the attention of the Ivins community and to the authorities proposing the reservoir. The reservoir is now on indefinite hold, and Wayne’s current proposal calls for Ivins to adopt an attitude that no reservoir containing partially processed wastewater, rather than fully purified or fresh water, will ever be considered for approval.

Wayne believes that every major issue that is considered by the Ivins City Council should be thoroughly investigated prior to voting on it, and outside insistence for a hasty decision should be viewed with suspicion. If the Council of 2021 had followed this approach, the lengthy debates about the Dry Wash reservoir could have been avoided.

With degrees from Princeton, Cornell, and University of Wisconsin, Wayne worked at the University of Texas, Columbia University, and Marathon Oil Company. He then spent 24 years at Michigan Technological University as a Professor, Department Chair, and Dean of the College of Engineering.

Wayne’s specialty is seismology, concentrating on earthquakes, oil and gas exploration and development, and their overlap, where moving fluids in the earth may cause seismic activity. He has operated a small consulting business, spent a year as a Jefferson Science Fellow at the US Dept of State and USAID, and a year as a visiting scientist at Schlumberger’s research center on the campus of Cambridge University.

Notably, his first geophysical field project was in Utah, east of Price in the Book Cliffs. Like many geoscientists, he has long loved southern Utah, where he says “you can find a retired geologist under almost every rock.”

Wayne has long been active in the scientific community, as president of the American Geosciences Institute, vice-president of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, member of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents, and organizer of many scientific conferences. He relished addressing the challenges that these societies faced, and helped to resolve them, usually by consensus and agreement, using skills he learned during many years as Scoutmaster. Wayne looks forward to doing the same for the City of Ivins from a seat on the City Council.

As Chair of the Dept of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, and as Dean of the College of Engineering, both at Michigan Tech, Wayne generally brought a teamwork approach to governing and decision-making. Rarely was a vote split; by the time the discussion of an issue was complete, members of the faculty or college committee had agreed on a solution that all could live with… something that is rare in academic circles.

Wayne has long been involved in community activities, including ten years as scoutmaster. First as an Assistant Scoutmaster, then as Scoutmaster, and finally as Advisor to Venture Scouts (a coed group for older Scouts). He grew each group to record sizes, mentored a dozen to Eagle Scout rank, and led troops or crews on several “high adventure” wilderness treks in the mountain West (Colorado, Wyoming ,and New Mexico) and the Boundary Waters (northern Minnesota). Advising Scouts to lead their own “army of ants” to accomplish community-wide goals was a constant theme.

Wayne is a father of two, and grandfather of two. He is happy to regale anyone with stories about these “kids”.

Wayne is a member of the Ivins City Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), participates in Emergency Preparedness activities, is a member of the Desert Preservation Initiative, the Friends of Snow Canyon, and the Southwest Utah Geological Association. He takes pride in this community, and wants to help make it the best it can be.

When Wayne and Laura first came to the area, it was because of the natural beauty. They stayed because of the community they found here, the opportunities to interact with civic leaders and to make a difference in the lives of people and the future of Ivins. Volunteering is in their nature, and civic duty is a part of that.

The Ivins City Council faces a number of issues on a regular basis. Zoning and land-usage is an important recurring topic, as is the availability of water. The tension between individual rights and community values is often felt, and compromises are required from both points of view. We are all glad to be living here, and the number of households continues to increase, whether from people moving in from other cities or from people who grew up here and want to stay (but not in their parents’ home!); all residents should be treated with equal respect and their opinions heard. The recent General Plan Survey and resulting updated General Plan should serve as guidelines for continuing development.

Even with identical levels of knowledge about the subject at hand, sensible people can disagree on a plan of action. First, however, it is important to ensure that all parties are, indeed, well-informed. Researching a subject in some depth is important. But reaching a consensus is also important. Even though a simple majority vote will determine an outcome, the community is better served if the solution makes everyone (okay, almost everyone) satisfied.

For automatons in a hierarchy, a majority vote would suffice, but for compassionate members of a community, a consensus is important.