Brenda Burman

Brenda Wren Burman is an American attorney and government official who served as commissioner of the United States Bureau of Reclamation from 2017 to 2021. Prior to assuming that position, she served as director of water strategy at the Salt River Project. Burman served in the George W. Bush administration as Deputy Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science. She has previously held positions with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, The Nature Conservancy, and U.S. Senator Jon Kyl.

Early life and education Burman was born in Santa Clara County, California and grew up in Minnesota and New Jersey. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College in 1989, where she was a member of the college's field hockey team. After college, Burman worked as a volunteer trail crew member at Carlsbad Caverns National Park and became a park ranger at the Grand Canyon. She attended law school at the University of Arizona School of Law, earning a Juris Doctor.

United States Bureau of Reclamation On June 26, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Burman to serve as the next Commissioner of the United States Bureau of Reclamation. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 16, 2017. Burman is the first woman to ever lead the Bureau of Reclamation. Her nomination was commented upon favorably by a number of public officials, including U.S. Senators Jeff Flake and John McCain; Arizona Governor Doug Ducey; and Congressman Paul Gosar.

Central Arizona Project Brenda Burman joined Central Arizona Project in 2021 as the Executive Strategy Advisor and was hired by the Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board of Directors as general manager in January 2023. She is the fifth person to hold that position and the first female.