“Dedicated to all who are inspired by the beauties and mysteries of the mineral kingdom.”
Arthur L. Flagg
Founder & First President
Mineralogical Society of Arizona

“The natural world is endlessly wondrous. What a hobby!”
Chris Whitney-Smith

I am a fourth generation Arizona native, born in copper mining town of Morenci at foot of the Coronado Trail. I credit my remarkable Mother for nurturing my curiosities in the beauties of art and earth science at an early age. I often reflect that if Arizona is the Holy Land for minerals and mineral lovers, for me, Greenlee County was the Holy Grail.

A serendipitous visit to a Glenwood, New Mexico Rock Shop, summer of 1985 sparked what would become my lifelong passion for gemstones and minerals; it was there, a lustrous Red Cloud Wulfenite became the lens that forever changed how I viewed the rock and mineral universe.

I departed college early in 1991 to serve in United States Navy stationed on Oahu at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I relocated to Phoenix in 1997 and joined Mineralogical Society of Arizona in 2007.

My interests range from gemstones and micro to décor size mineral specimens that includes radioactive and fluorescent minerals. My current obsessions include work with select non-profits in earth sciences, promoting mineral shows, installing educational mineral exhibitions, mining, field collecting, competitive thumbnail minerals with focus on minerals of Arizona & Africa and finding new ways to help others explore world’s most people never knew existed.

In partnership with Dr. Alexander Schauss and grassroots movement across Arizona that included junior and adult members of Mineralogical Society of Arizona, we spearheaded successful "Wulfenite Is Love" campaign for Arizona HB 2092 to make Wulfenite Official Arizona Mineral. HB 2092 signed into law by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey on Wednesday, March 22, 2017. Wulfenite Is Loved!

Life Member Mineralogical Society of Arizona (2007-Present) serving as Membership Chair (2010-2013), Board Governor (2012-Present), Curator MSA Mineral Collection (2012-Present), Vice President (2013), President (2014-Present), Editor The Rockhound Record (2015-2020), American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Bulletin Editors Hall of Fame (2021), MSA Hall of Fame (2022), MSA Rockhound of the Year (2022), American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Rockhound of the Year (2022), A Founder and Show Chairman MSA's Phoenix Heritage Mineral Show (July & November 2022, June 2023 and Co-Chairman with Les Presmyk June 2024); Founding Member Earth Science Museum (2012-Present) serving as Board Trustee (2012-Present); Member Flagg Mineral Foundation (2012-Present) serving as Board Trustee (2014-Present); Sponsoring Member Mindat.org (2012-Present); Member Tucson Gem & Mineral Society (2012-Present); Member Fluorescent Mineral Society (2012-2015 and 2020-Present); Member Arizona Mineral Minions (2013-Present) serving as Treasurer (2017-2018) and Coordinator (2018-2019); Advisory Board Member LGF Foundation for Natural History Museum (2017-Present); Member Bay Area Mineralogists (2017-Present); Member New York Mineralogical Club (2019-Present); Member National Friends of Mineralogy (2015-Present) serving as National Board Director (2016 and 2018-2021) and Chairman American Club Rockhound of the Year (ACROY) Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies (2023-Present).