M. Camille Calimlim Touton is a Nevadan who has spent her career focusing on water policy. Prior to joining Interior, Camille served as Senior Professional Staff for the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Camille’s congressional experience also includes serving as Professional Staff for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, the authorizing committees for the Department of the Interior. Camille also served as the Department of the Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science under the Obama Administration.
Camille holds a BS in Engineering (Civil) and a BA in Communication Studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Master of Public Policy from George Mason University. While her heart is in the west, Camille, her husband Matthew, and their daughters call Arlington, VA home.
The Bureau of Reclamation operates Hoover and Glen Canyon dams which impound the two largest reservoirs in the U.S., Lake Mead and Lake Powell. The operations oversee administration of the “Law of the River” — the Colorado River Compact and the other agreements and legislation that allocate water to the various interests in the basin. So the Commissioner sets the direction for the entire basin, oversees operations to ensure fairness, and makes sure that legal agreements are followed, and in some cases enforced. For example, the immediate past Commissioner, Brenda Burman, was instrumental in getting the Upper and Lower Basin “Drought Contingency Plans” negotiated and signed in 2020.
You may have an opportunity to hear from Ms. Touton at the annual conference, December 14-16, 2021, in Las Vegas. Check back in the coming weeks for more details about the speakers and agenda and for registration information.