Ladd Keith appointed to Governor Hobbs' Workplace Heat Safety Task Force

Ladd Keith, director of the University of Arizona’s Heat Resilience Initiative within the Arizona Institute for Resilience, has been appointed to Arizona Governor Katie Hobb’s new Workplace Heat Safety Task Force.

“We are taking action to protect Arizonans from heat risk in the workplace,” said Governor Hobbs in a news release. “Whether building our homes, growing our produce, or manufacturing the next advanced technology, Arizonans deserve to be safe at work.”

The task force, created through Executive Order 2025-07 and announced in May, convened for its first meeting in late July. Charged with developing and recommending statewide heat safety guidelines for employers, the group includes worker advocates, industry leaders, and occupational safety experts. Its recommendations are expected before the end of the year as the state responds to growing concerns over extreme heat and worker safety.

Keith, an associate professor of planning at the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture (CAPLA) and associate research professor at the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, is one of the country’s leading researchers on heat planning and resilience.

“I look forward to working with the other task force members to develop practical and effective recommendations, supported by workers’ lived experiences and the latest science and data, to better protect Arizona’s workers from the increasing impacts of extreme heat,” Keith said.

“Dr. Ladd Keith is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in heat planning and policy and his expertise will help Arizona have better heat governance systems,” Minwoo Ahn, a postdoctoral research associate for the Heat Resilience Initiative, said. “He has the unique ability to bring scientists and policymakers together and can inform the task force about an evidence-based heat policy.”

His appointment to the task force aligns with his research on turning climate and public health data into actionable strategies for communities. In this new role, Keith will help bridge the gap between academic research and state-level protections for workers, as Arizona faces frequent and severe heatwaves.

Keith’s work has emphasized the disproportionate impacts of heat on vulnerable populations, including low-wage and outdoor workers, who may lack access to basic protections like shade, hydration or rest breaks. The task force will evaluate how enforcement of and access to protective measures can be made more equitable.

Southwest Urban Integrated Field Laboratory (SW-IFL) Program Coordinator Kirsten Lake said this work will fill a crucial void in Arizona.

“There are currently no guidelines for employers to keep employees safe. This means that employers may not understand how to protect employees,” she said. “The task force will provide employers with an important tool to protect employees and potentially save lives.”

Keith’s involvement signals a commitment to science-based planning that considers not just today’s conditions, but the hotter future Arizona is expected to face.

“It is extremely important for the state to have a task force to coordinate heat work at all levels and locations in the state to prepare for and respond to extreme heat,” Ahn said. “This task force will save Arizonans from heat-related illnesses and deaths.”

For more information, read the news release.