Queen Creek’s Water Resource Director Paul Gardner has received the 2023 Distinguished Public Official Award from the American Planning Association, Arizona Chapter.

“The Distinguished Public Official Award is quite fitting for Paul,” Queen Creek Mayor Julia Wheatley stated in a press release. “He began his legacy in the community in 1985 when he took over the operations of the Queen Creek Water Company after his grandfather passed. Paul was one of five individuals who would spearhead the town’s incorporation effort and become known as the QC5 or the town’s Founding Fathers. These early efforts changed the trajectory of the community – and Paul’s involvement didn’t stop there. He has been at the forefront of the town’s water strategy, and we are thankful for his vision and continued efforts.”

Gardner helped with the development of the town’s first General Plan as he served on the first town council. The plan embodied the vision of the town’s founding fathers, “laying a foundation for a thriving community that embraced its agricultural heritage and family friendly atmosphere,” the release added.

That vision for the community has continued over the past 30 years, and Gardner took a more active role, joining the town in 2008 with the purchase of the Queen Creek Water Company. Gardner began evaluating opportunities to diversify the town’s water supply with a focus on reducing reliance on groundwater and finding the most cost-effective options for the town and its customers, the release stated.

After a five-year process, the town recently began receiving Fourth Priority Colorado River water and is in the midst of another agreement in Harquahala Valley, the release stated.

Gardner has worked with new developments to create a lake program using treated effluent to save groundwater. The developers market the lake as an enhanced amenity while the town can conserve water by using the treated effluent to provide the landscaping water needs for the community, the release stated. He has also worked closely with the development community to offer more water-efficient packages, with new homes in Queen Creek all having desert landscaping or turf.

“Coming from the planning association makes this award particularly special,” Paul Gardner stated in the release. “The community of Queen Creek would not be what it is today without all of the forethought and extensive planning that has occurred from its incorporation through today. Over the years, the town’s leadership and council have been committed to diversifying our water portfolio and it is because of that commitment that I was honored with this award.”

Gardner has held leadership positions with the Water Utility Association of Arizona and Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona.