"Phoenix has appointed one of the leading experts on urban heat to run a program the city hopes will save lives and reduce urban temperatures even as climate change warms the surrounding desert.

Mayor Kate Gallego on Wednesday introduced David Hondula as director of the nation’s first publicly funded office of heat response and mitigation. The longtime Arizona State University environmental scientist and heat researcher will retain a post at the school but work full-time coordinating heat-reduction strategies."

Read the full story here on AZ Central