The Connector - Fall 2008 - (Page 9)

RWAU 20 2008 Fall 2008 Executive Director’s Comments By Dale Pierson, RWAU Executive Director ural Water lost a good friend on May 30, 2008 when former Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner John Keys’ airplane crashed in Canyonlands National Park. John was a good friend to rural water, both in Utah and at the national level throughout his tenure as Commissioner. I fi rst met John in 1997 when he became a member of the Grand County Special Service Water District, one of the Districts I managed. Special Service District Board members were appointed by the Grand County Council upon recommendation of the District Board. It was my job in the process to review applications and recommend my choice to the District Board so that they could then take it into consideration when they made their recommendation decision. Usually, after advertising a board opening, we would get three or four applications. These applications usually consisted of a one-page, handwritten sheet of paper that said something like, “I’d like to be on the water district board because I’m really interested in water.” When we received John’s application, it was a resume, and an incredible resume I might add. I went to my Board and the Grand County Council members and told them, “I don’t know who this guy is, but if you don’t appoint him you’re crazy.” R John Keys left many friends throughout the Intermountain West and across the nation. All of us who knew him will miss him. As a retired Bureau of Reclamation employee and former Pacific Northwest Regional Director for the Bureau and as an engineer, John knew a lot about water, water development, water impoundment, agricultural water use, hydropower, actually about everything imaginable related to large water development. What John didn’t know a lot about was drinking water, particularly rural drinking water production and delivery. He quickly educated himself on these facets of the industry and just as quickly became an invaluable board member. 9 Early in 2001, John came to me and let me know that President George W. Bush had nominated him to be Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation. The day the FBI showed up at my office – to the consternation of other District personnel – to conduct part of the background check on John, I knew the appointment was really happening. John and I stayed in touch throughout his five years of service as Commissioner. We would exchange emails in which he would tell me of his travels, and I would update him on happenings in Utah and Grand County. Occasionally when I traveled to Washington DC, we would get together for dinner or a brief meeting at his office, although most often he was on the road performing his duties for the Bureau. He always made certain that RWAU and NRWA were kept abreast of Bureau activities that might involve them and took comments from our organizations into consideration. He spoke at NRWA Water Rallies on Bureau issues and participated as a judge on two separate occasions for the NRWA Water Taste Test. When John retired from the Bureau for the second time in 2006, he looked forward to resuming his private life. He stayed involved in the water industry by returning as a board member with Grand County’s Water and Sewer Service Agency and participating in rural water conferences along with resuming his many other interests. Sadly, that retirement was cut short on May 30th. Connecto Connector nnecto The Connector

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Connector - Fall 2008

The Connector - Fall 2008 Table of Contents President’s Message Executive Director’s Comments Letters From Readers Legislative Update Rural Water News Making an Impression Diana Waite Love Your Neighbor Erin Borger Sanitary Surveys – What to Expect: Part II Chuck Jeffs Water Wise Utah Mary Dickson Where in Utah? Index of Advertisers

The Connector - Fall 2008

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