Schwarzenegger Appoints Lester Snow To Natural Resources

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced the appointment of Lester Snow, left, to be the state's new Natural Resources Agency (NRA) secretary. Snow, 58, is a Democrat who has headed California's water resources department for the last five years. He succeeds Mike Chrisman, who is retiring from state service Feb. 1 after serving as resources secretary since 2003. The mission of the NRA is to restore, protect and manage the state's natural, historical and cultural resources for current and future generations using creative approaches and solutions based on science, collaboration and respect for all the communities and interests involved.

Lester A. Snow was appointed Director of the California Department of Water Resources by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on February 24, 2004. Snow was Executive Director of CALFED, now the California Bay-Delta Authority, from 1995 to 1999, leading the coalition of State and federal agencies working to "fix" the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. He left CALFED to become regional director for the Bureau of Reclamation, a post he held for almost two years. At Reclamation, he led operations of the federal Central Valley Project in California. Immediately prior to joining DWR, Snow was a water consultant in the private sector.

Before heading CALFED, Snow spent seven years as General Manager of the San Diego County Water Authority. His prior experience included six years with the Arizona Department of Water Resources, including four years as Tucson area director.

Snow earned a Master of Science degree in Water Resources Administration at the University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Science degree in Earth Sciences from Pennsylvania State University. (California Department of Water Resources)