[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 4] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 4928] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]THE RETIREMENT OF BUREAU OF RECLAMATION COMMISSIONER JOHN W. KEYS, III ______ HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, April 4, 2006 Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues from California Mr. Calvert and Mrs. Napolitano to express congratulations, best wishes, and warm thanks to Commissioner John W. Keys, III as he retires from a distinguished nearly 40-year career with the Bureau of Reclamation on April 14th. Commissioner Keys began his career with Reclamation in 1964 as a civil and hydraulic engineer. Over the years, he worked his way up through the ranks, gathering valuable experience on numerous western water issues, including the Missouri River Basin, the Colorado River Basin, and the Columbia River Basin. In 1986 John began, what would eventually be a 12-year stint, as Regional Director for the Pacific Northwest Region of Reclamation. In this capacity he received the Interior Department's highest honor, The Distinguished Service Award in 1995. John retired for the first time in 1998 to spend more time in Moab, Utah with his two loves, his wife Dell, and his airplanes. A certified commercial airline pilot, he owns a Cessna 182 and over the years has logged hundreds of hours of flight time. As if all of that wasn't enough, John also finds time to referee high school and college football games. Originally raised in Sheffield Alabama, he received a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master's Degree from Brigham Young University. On July 17, 2001, John came out of retirement to be sworn in as the 16th Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation. Over the past five years, Commissioner Keys has traveled the country and worked tirelessly developing solutions to long-standing water conflicts. He was instrumental in the development of Interior's Water 2025 Initiative, the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, and resolving the 75-year dispute regarding California's share of Colorado River water. It has been a pleasure knowing John personally. Commissioner Keys has served his government and country admirably and will be missed. Although we are saddened by his departure, we wish him the best of luck in his retirement.