[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 4, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S5029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     REMEMBERING JOHN W. KEYS, III

  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise today on a sad note--to inform 
the Senate of the recent death of a model public servant who served our 
country well. John W. Keys, III, was the 16th Commissioner of the 
Bureau of Reclamation. He served in that capacity from July 17, 2001, 
to April 15, 2006, and worked closely with the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources which I have the privilege of chairing. Commissioner 
Keys retired 2 years ago to return to Utah and pursue his favorite 
pastimes which included flying. Tragically, he was killed on May 30, 
2008, when the airplane he was piloting crashed in Canyonlands National 
Park, UT, with one passenger aboard.
  Commissioner Keys' appointment by President Bush to lead the Bureau 
of Reclamation was actually his second stint with the agency. He 
returned to Federal service after previously retiring from a 34-year 
career with reclamation. During that time, he worked as a civil and 
hydraulic engineer in various positions throughout the western United 
States. Ultimately, he served as reclamation's Pacific Northwest 
regional director for 12 years before his initial retirement in 1998.
  Commissioner Keys was a dedicated public servant whose knowledge, 
experience, and demeanor were key factors in his successful leadership 
of the Bureau of Reclamation. Those same skills, combined with his 
willingness to work with Congress on a bipartisan basis, were 
instrumental in addressing a wide range of water resource issues across 
the West. He will be sorely missed, but left a legacy of 
accomplishments that will ensure that he is long-remembered. I offer my 
condolences to his wife, Dell, and their daughters, Cathy and Robyn.
  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the memory of John W. 
Keys, III, who died tragically in a plane crash on Friday, May 30, 
2008. John was a long-time Federal official, and a kind and thoughtful 
man.
  John Keys was born in Sheffield, AL. He earned a bachelor's degree in 
civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a 
master's degree from Brigham Young University. John was dedicated to 
his community, and spent much of his spare time serving as a search-
and-rescue pilot for Utah County and as a college and high school 
football referee.
  The majority of John Keys' life, however, was centered on his 
marriage to his wife Dell and his professional career at the Bureau of 
Reclamation, an agency of the Department of the Interior. John spent 
nearly 40 years working with Reclamation. From 1964 to 1979, he worked 
as a civil and hydraulic engineer in the Great Basin, Missouri River 
Basin, Colorado River Basin, and Columbia River Basin. I first met John 
when he served as Reclamation's Pacific Northwest regional director. In 
1995, he was awarded Interior's highest honor--the Distinguished 
Service Award--for maintaining open lines of communication and keeping 
interest groups focused on solutions. After 12 years as Northwest 
regional director, John retired in 1998.
  In 2001, John emerged from retirement to take a position as the 16th 
Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation. As Commissioner, John 
oversaw a venerable agency charged with the operation and maintenance 
of water storage, water distribution, and electric power generation 
facilities in 17 Western States. John placed great emphasis on 
operating and maintaining Reclamation projects to ensure continued 
delivery of water and power benefits to the public, consistent with 
environmental and other requirements. He was committed to honoring 
State water rights, interstate compacts, and contracts with 
Reclamation's users. This commitment helped the agency develop creative 
solutions to address the water resource challenges of the West.
  John had retired as Commissioner in 2006. He was a highly respected 
and dedicated public servant. I stand today to express my appreciation 
for his service to the Northwest and to our country. I want to offer my 
sincere condolences to his wife, his daughters, and those he leaves 
behind.

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