Water 2025: Preventing Crises and Conflict in the West

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Presenter Biographies (In order of presentation) Bennett Raley Assistant Secretary of the Interior, Water and Science Mr. Raley was confirmed by the U.S. Scnatc and sworn in as the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, Department of the Interior, on July 17, 2001, by The Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton. He is responsible for setting departmental policy and providing oversight to the Bureau of Reclamation and the Geological Survey. From 1983 to 1991, Mr. Raley was an associate, and later a partner, with the law firm of Davis, Graham & Stubbs in Denver, Colorado. He then served as Staff Counsel to United States Senator Hank Brown (R.CO) during the 102"d Congress. Upon his return to Colorado, he practiced law at Hobbs, Trout & Raley. He also served as Chief Counsel to the United States Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Federalism, and Property rights for the first 100 days of the 104th Congress, as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of New Mexico in federal court litigation, and as Co -Chair of the Federal Water Rights Task Force established pursuant to the 1996 Farm Bill. Mr. Raley received his B.S. in Agricultural Business from Colorado State University and his J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law. Charles G. Groat Director, U.S. Geological Survey On November 3, 1998, Dr. Charles G. Groat became the 13th Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior. Groat is a distinguished professional in the earth science community with over 25 years of direct involvement in geological studies, energy and minerals resource assessment, ground -water occurrence and protection, geomorphic processes and landform evolution in desert areas, and coastal studies. From May to November 1998, he served as Associate Vice President for Research and Sponsored Projects at the University of Texas at El Paso, following 3 years as Director of the Center for Environmental Resource Management. He was also Director of the University's Environmental Science and Engineering Ph.D. Program and a Professor of Geological Sciences. Prior to joining the University of Texas, Dr. Groat served as Executive Director (1992 -95) at the Center for Coastal, Energy, and Environmental Resources, at Louisiana State University. He was Executive Director (1990 -92) for the American Geological Institute. From 1983 -88, he served as assistant to the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of natural Resources, where he administered the Coastal Zone Management Program, and the Coastal Protection Program. From 1978 -90, Dr. Groat held positions at Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources that included serving as professor for the Department of Geology and Geophysics, and as Director and State Geologist for the Louisiana Geological Survey.