News Release Archive

Reclamation's Ken Pedde Retires After 39 Years of Federal Service

Media Contact: Diana Cross, (208) 378-5020, dcross@pn.usbr.gov

For Release: May 27, 2005

A man who helped guide the Bureau of Reclamation through both calm and rough waters is heading into retirement after 39 years of dedicated service with the Bureau of Reclamation.

Ken Pedde, Deputy Regional Director for Reclamation's Pacific Northwest Region, will bid farewell to Federal service on June 3, while remaining active in community service and special projects of personal interest.

"Ken has been my alter ego since I came to the region in 1999," said Bill McDonald, Pacific Northwest Regional Director. "He is the best of the best. We wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement."

Pedde's retirement also brings with it high regard from Reclamation Commissioner John Keys, who worked closely with him for many years in the Pacific Northwest Region.

"Ken has not only earned my respect as a close personal friend, he has proven himself to be a man of high integrity and effective leadership," Commissioner Keys said. "When I served as regional director, I knew I could depend on Ken's honesty and knowledge to guide Reclamation's policies and programs."

Pedde started in the Pacific Northwest Region in 1987 as the assistant regional director and was named deputy regional director following an internal reorganization in 1994.

In this capacity, he has served for extended periods as acting regional director and assists in directing Reclamation's water resources operations in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and portions of Montana and Wyoming west of the Continental Divide.

He has played an active part in coordinating with other agencies to manage Reclamation projects to avoid jeopardizing Endangered Species Act-listed species and to contribute to the ultimate recovery of salmon in the Columbia Basin.

A native of Michigan, Pedde attended Michigan Technological University and received his Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering in 1966. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Colorado.

In 1966, Pedde began his career with Reclamation in Colorado. After a break for military service, he accepted assignments in El Paso, Amarillo, Texas and Billings, Montana, before moving to Boise, Idaho.

Pedde and his wife, Susan, live in Boise and have three grown children. He is active in the Boy Scouts of America, and enjoys camping, backpacking, canoeing, and almost any activity that will take him outdoors.

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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.