[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 8 (Tuesday, February 1, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E123-E124]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE RETIREMENT OF THOMAS N. CLARK

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. WILLIAM M. THOMAS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 1, 2005

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the retirement 
of Thomas Newton Clark, General Manager of the Kern County Water 
Agency. Tom has worked at the

[[Page E124]]

Agency for over 20 years, and held the position of General Manager for 
the last 15. Throughout his career in the California water industry, 
Tom has shown vision and tenacity when tackling the challenges of 
competing water interests. He has long been recognized for his 
negotiating skills and ability to find a resolution acceptable to 
widely divergent points of view.
  Tom is a second generation Californian and a lifelong resident of 
Bakersfield. He attended Standard Elementary, Standard Junior High, and 
North High School, graduating in 1963. After marrying Karen on June 19, 
1966, Tom spent 2 years in the Army at Fort Irwin, California. After 
taking classes at Bakersfield College and California State University, 
Bakersfield for 2 years, Tom then ventured across the country to 
complete his coursework at the University of Pittsburgh, earning his 
Master of Science in Water Supply--Water Pollution Control in 1974.
  Tom moved back home to California, starting his long career in 
California water in 1974 with the Kern County Water Agency as a Water 
Resources Planner. After nearly 4 years with the Agency, Tom sought a 
new challenge as water manager for Nickel Enterprises and La Hacienda, 
Inc., where he was responsible for managing the water rights of this 
farming, commercial and residential water rights development firm. Tom 
returned to the Kern County Water Agency 8 years later as an Assistant 
Manager and was promoted to Assistant General Manager 3 years later. In 
1990, Tom took on the mantle of General Manager, overseeing all 
operations of the Agency, including management of its allocated State 
Water Project water supplies.
  Tom is well known for his visionary leadership in promoting the idea 
of water banking in and around Bakersfield and for his dedicated work 
to balance California's commercial, residential and agricultural water 
needs. Tom has always sought to educate water users in more urban areas 
of California about the importance of water for agriculture, given that 
the Central Valley is the most productive agricultural region in 
America. He was one of the lead players in developing the Bay-Delta 
Accord of 1994 and following that through to State and Federal 
authorization in subsequent years. In the 108th Congress, I worked with 
Tom and others at the Agency to ensure a Federal reauthorization of the 
California Bay-Delta Program, a program that seeks to provide a balance 
to competing water needs in California.
  I wish Tom the best of luck in his retirement. While I understand he 
is retiring from his high-profile and high-pressure position, he will 
continue to be a voice and force in California water policy for many 
years to come.

                          ____________________