Meet Marc Maynard

Meet Marc Maynard, the new BOR Ephrata Field Office Manager. We took the opportunity to ask Marc a few questions to get to know him better. The League is looking forward to working with Marc and continuing our partnership with Reclamation in moving the Columbia Basin Project development forward.

What did you do before coming to Ephrata Field Office?

For the past 10 years I have worked for the Bureau of Reclamation in the Lower Colorado Region.  Most recently I was the Resource Management Office Chief in the Regional Office located in Boulder City, NV.

Tell us a little more about your background and interests.

I grew up on the East Coast in New York State and am a biologist by trade.  I went to school at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.  I have lived out west for about 15 years and worked as a biologist in Ely, NV and Las Vegas, NV as a contractor to Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and then as a Federal employee at the BLM prior to working for Reclamation.  At Reclamation I worked in various capacities related to biology, the National Environmental Policy Act, and land management before becoming the Chief of the Resource Management Office.  I am an avid outdoors-man and am very excited to be living in Ephrata where I will be able to spend time doing activities I love such as hiking, backpacking, hunting, fishing, and camping with my wife and kids.

What is your vision for the Ephrata Field Office?

I believe respect, communication, and collaboration are major drivers in building and maintaining good relationships and that good relationships with customers, partners, and stakeholders are the key to the work that we do in the Ephrata Field Office (EFO).  I also believe in being a strong community partner and will be looking for areas where we can continue to engage with the local communities within the EFO area of responsibility.  EFO staff do great work and are integral to the continued success of the Columbia Basin Project.  I plan to support the work of EFO, work with everyone concerned with the Columbia Basin Project and work with the Irrigation Districts that fall within EFO's area of responsibility that are outside of the Columbia Basin Project to move our projects and daily work forward.  I welcome folks to stop by the office to meet me and EFO staff.  If you are going to drop by, please try to call ahead of time to make sure the people you want to see are there to meet you because I expect many days you will find us out and about on the Columbia Basin Project getting things done.

What is your perspective on the Columbia Basin Project – the project and its path toward completion?

The Columbia Basin Project is unique for at least two reasons I am currently aware of, it is Reclamation's largest project and it is still under construction, specifically with all of the ongoing work associated with Odessa.  I am interested in learning all facets of the Project and hope that the Columbia Basin Project stakeholders will take time to explain the Project and their perspectives of the Project to me during this learning experience.  I intend to work with Reclamation and the Columbia Basin Project Partners to make good decisions that ensure the long-term viability of the Project. 

What are your priorities? How will you prioritize items like: the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP), other infrastructure reinvestment projects, etc.?

We are involved in several projects, including OGWRP that are a high priority to Reclamation and the CBP Irrigation Districts. Right now, I think we need to stay focused to complete some long-standing projects such as Odessa, Potholes Supplemental Feed Route, and PPL.  Working together with the Columbia Basin Project Irrigation Districts to fulfill the day-to-day Columbia Basin Project operational requirements is also a rather obvious priority, but I think an important one to state.