About
History of the TAMS Center and the TAMS Steering Committee
The Tribal Air Monitoring Support (TAMS) Center was created in 1999 as a partnership between federally recognized
tribes, the Northern Arizona University Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) and the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). The mission of the TAMS Center is to “develop tribal capacity to assess, understand, and
prevent environmental impacts that adversely affect health, cultural, and natural resources.” Since its inception,
the TAMS Center has developed and implemented specialized training courses and individualized technical support to
tribes in the field of air monitoring.
The TAMS Center partnership is organized with NAU ITEP and EPA staff cooperatively providing the services of the TAMS
Center to the tribal customers. The TAMS Center receives input directly from the tribal programs through an advisory
committee, the TAMS Steering Committee. Seven tribal professionals are nominated and selected from tribal programs
nationwide by their peers to provide input on the type of services needed by tribal programs on monthly calls and
two in-person meetings annually. The TAMS Center elected its first Steering Committee in 2000. The bylaws were
ratified in 2000 as well. The first group of TAMS SC members included:
Region I, Darrel Harmon (Penobscot)
Region II, Les Benedict (St. Regis Mohawk)
Region V, Joy Weicks (Fond du Lac)
Region VI, Dewayne Beavers (Cherokee Nation)
Region VIII, Randy Ashley (Confederated Tribes of the Salish and Kootenai)
Region IX, Tallchief Comet (Blue Lake Rancheria)
Region IX, Bobby Ramirez (Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community)
Region X, Rose Lee (Yakama Nation)
Alaska, Ben Stevens (Steven Native Village, Alaska)
Ex-Officio Members were,
Virgil Masayesva, NAU-ITEP
Bill Auberle, NAU- ITEP
Regina Thompson, EPA – Region 10
Rich Schieffe, EPA – OAQPS
For more information about TAMS Center, please contact:
TAMS Center
702/784-8264
Darlene.Santos@nau.edu