News Release Archive

Michelle Banonis Selected as Bay Delta Office Manager for Bureau of Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Region

Media Contact: Shane Hunt, 916-978-5100, shunt@usbr.gov

For Release: March 16, 2016

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Pablo Arroyave, Deputy Regional Director for the Bureau of Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Region, announces the selection of Michelle Banonis as the Region’s Bay Delta Office Manager effective March 21. In this position, Banonis will be responsible for the Region’s Central Valley Project Endangered Species Act consultation efforts, Delta science and CVP fisheries biology programs, California WaterFix and numerous other CVP priorities.

“I am pleased to announce Michelle’s selection to lead the Bay Delta Office,” stated Arroyave. “She brings a breadth of knowledge to the position, spanning the areas of engineering, biology, program management, environmental compliance and law.”

Recently, Banonis was selected as the Mid-Pacific Region’s Special Assistant to the Regional Director, while simultaneously leading efforts on California WaterFix, which she has undertaken for the past two years. Previously, she was Restoration Goal Supervisor in the San Joaquin River Restoration Program and also a natural resources specialist in that office. Before coming to Reclamation, Banonis served 10 years with Pierce County, Washington Public Works and Utilities, working on a wide range of transportation projects and formulating the creation of the county’ permitting division as the Environmental Permitting Supervisor. She also previously held various positions as a biologist and engineering technician with Pierce County.

Banonis holds a Juris Doctor from Humphreys College Laurence Drivon School of Law and is a licensed attorney with the State Bar of California. She has a Bachelor of Science in environmental engineering from Michigan Technological University, where she is also an inducted member of the Presidential Council of Alumnae supporting the university’s mission to inspire and influence women in the fields of engineering and science.

# # #

The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.