John W. Keys

John Walton Keys III (March 25, 1942 – May 30, 2008)

Career Keys first began working with the Bureau of Reclamation as a civil and hydraulic engineer in 1964. In 1986, he was appointed the Northwest Regional Director, overseeing operations in Washington state, Oregon, Idaho, and parts of Montana and Wyoming. He retired from that position in 1998. For the next three years, Keys spent most of his time flying his personal aircraft for humanitarian purposes. He returned to the bureau when he was confirmed as commissioner in July 2001. Keys left the position of commissioner in 2006, but was at times consulted by his successor, Bob Johnson.

Keys was an American football official for 40 years, including 20 years officiating college football games in the Big Sky Conference.

Keys died on May 30, 2008, when the Cessna 172 he was piloting crashed in the Canyonlands National Park. He was a resident of Moab, Utah, at the time of his death.