Bryan Horsburgh, Snake River Area Manager
In early summer 2024, Bryan Horsburgh was selected as the new Snake River Area Manager, officially taking the helm in July. Major projects under the SRAO portfolio include the Palisades Project, Minidoka Project, Boise Project, Owyhee Project, and Lewiston Orchards Project, to name a few. In this interview, Bryan discusses his first few months and highlights what the future holds for the SRAO during his tenure.
Gatlin: Bryan, share a bit about your professional background and what led you to pursue the role as the Snake River Area manager?
Horsburgh: I have been in the water business for nearly 30 years. After graduating from Boise State University, I spent the first 10 years of my career with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality as a Water Quality Analyst. In 2005, I was hired at Reclamation as the Regional Water Quality Coordinator, then promoted to the Ecosystems Analysis Program Manager is 2007 and the Resource Services Manager in 2009. I worked as the Resource Services manager until 2019, when I transferred to the Snake River Area Office as the Deputy Area Manager. I started as the Snake River Area Manager in July 2024.
I pursued the Snake River Area Manager role for several reasons. Most notably, we have amazing employees! I want to lead a team of ambitious and capable individuals who not only contribute to Reclamation’s success, but also care about each other and cultivate a culture of personal excellence. Second, the Snake River Area Office has had some remarkable area managers over the years. Each of them advanced the office in different ways. I want to build on the strong foundation established by my predecessors, while focusing on further enhancing our mission essential operations and ensuring that we effectively address the needs of our stakeholders.
Gatlin: What are your goals and priorities in your first year as an area manager?
Horsburgh: The Snake River Area Office Leadership Council identified three key areas to advance the office forward: portfolio planning, workforce planning, and employee retention. One of my priorities is to continue leading these initiatives because I believe they are foundational to our success as an area office. I also am committed to maintaining collaborative relationships with those that help us effectuate our mission. Reclamation is an agency that brings great economic value to the western United States. However, we don’t do it alone. We rely on our local managing partners to ensure that our value is maximized for the public. I intend to foster the relationships with our managing partners to ensure that the Snake River Area Office is viewed as a model for effective collaboration.
Gatlin: Are there any ongoing Snake River area projects or initiatives that you’re particularly excited to oversee or advance?
Horsburgh: The portfolio of projects and initiatives at the Snake River Area Office is one of the things that excites me the most about this job. We developed our FY2025 Area Office priorities to include both leadership initiatives and targeted projects, ensuring that all aspects of our business remain at the forefront. While all the projects are important and contribute to our mission, a few of them are particularly meaningful to me. These include the Anderson Ranch Dam Raise project, Lewiston Orchards Water Exchange & Title Transfer, American Falls Resource Management Plan, and the Teton Dam Commemoration Overlook. These projects directly impact our partners and the public in several ways, making their success that much more important. In terms of initiatives, I am particularly excited about our workforce planning effort. Success for our office is predicated on building a durable team that is positioned for the future.
Gatlin: What are some challenges facing the Snake River area of responsibility and how do you plan to tackle those challenges?
Horsburgh: Aging Infrastructure will continue to be a challenge for the foreseeable future. For example, the Boise and Minidoka projects are two of the earliest authorized projects in Reclamation’s portfolio, with some of the dams and appurtenant features over 100 years old. Addressing our aging infrastructure will require a multifaceted strategy, consisting of continual condition assessments, prioritizing funding based on criticality, and ensuring collaboration with our managing partners. We also want to explore the availably of new techniques and technologies that might enhance the longevity of our assets.
We have a great team, and I am excited to continue focusing on building an office where people want to work, they believe in the mission, and support each other. We have new generations entering the workforce and we need to think about how to retain them. I am working with the Snake River leadership team to identify and fill skill gaps and build career development plans for succession.
Gatlin: How would you describe your leadership style, and how do you plan to apply it in this role?
Horsburgh: First and foremost, I am committed to creating a culture of transparency, respect, and continuous improvement. The foundation of my leadership style is built upon collaboration, and I encourage those around me to participate and advise in my decision making. I also adapt my leadership style based on the situation at hand, allowing me to exhibit flexibility, while always remembering to stay rooted in ensuring that we deliver on our core mission requirements.
Gatlin: Do you have a quote or mantra you like to live by?
Horsburgh: “My team’s success is my success.”
I am a believer in empowering the people around me. Everyone has strengths and wants to succeed. I am astonished every day by quality of people working for Reclamation. I rely on my team heavily to help me make timely and smart decisions, and I’m humbled to be serving as the Snake River Area Manager.
