SRP mourns loss of Vice President John Hoopes

John. R. Hoopes, SRP vice president and longtime member of the SRP Council, died September 14 at the age of 71.  Hoopes was SRP’s 17th vice president, serving from 2010 until his passing. Before his election as vice president, he served on the SRP Council from 1997 through 2006, ultimately as its chairman.  

Hoopes’ tenure at SRP was marked by transformations in how the company delivered on its mission to serve customers and communities by providing reliable, affordable and sustainable water and energy. This included a landmark 2018 agreement between the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and SRP to expand the Kayenta solar plant to provide more renewable energy to the Navajo Nation, as well as the SRP Board’s approval in 2019 of more aggressive sustainability goals.  

Other highlights during his years as vice president included the Cragin Watershed Restoration Agreement, the formation of the Customer Utility Panel to support the Board’s public decision-making process and numerous J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Awards. He was also a strong advocate of SRP’s Supplier Diversity program.  

“John cared deeply about SRP’s mission and bettering the company, the Valley and, most critically, the lives of those who call Arizona home,” said SRP President David Rousseau. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have served with John in helping to lead SRP during this critical time in our history. He was a trusted adviser and friend to many of us, and we are better for having known him.”  

Hoopes served on the Arizona-Mexico Commission Energy Committee and the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council. In addition, he was a board member for the Agribusiness Council of Arizona, Trapper Mining Inc., New West Energy Corp., Papago Park Center Inc. and Salt Verde Financial Corp., as well as the nonprofit Valleywise Health Foundation, Valley of the Sun United Way, ICAN, Phoenix Zoo and Southwest Museum Foundation.  

“John embodied SRP’s commitment and connection to the communities we serve,” said GM & CEO Jim Pratt. “With his family’s century-long ties to the Valley, he appreciated not only our rich history but also our role today in ensuring Arizona and SRP prosper in the centuries to come. His contributions were countless, and he will be deeply missed.”  

Hoopes was a fourth-generation Arizonan, a lawyer and a rancher whose great-grandfather served on the first elected SRP Council. His father, the namesake for Hoopes Substation in Chandler, served on the SRP Board and Council from 1948 through 1978. 

After graduating from Mesa High School, Hoopes received a B.A. from Brigham Young University in 1975 before earning a law degree from the University of Arizona in 1979. Hoopes was selected to serve a two-year federal court judicial clerkship following graduation and then practiced with a large Phoenix law firm. From 1998 until becoming an SRP elected official, he ran the mediation and litigation law practice Hoopes, Adams & Alexander PLC. Hoopes was also a former judge pro tem in the Maricopa County Superior Court Arizona Court of Appeals.  

He is survived by his wife, Nancy, four children and his grandchildren.