Neil Kornze
Neil Kornze
Director of the Bureau of Land Management
In office
April 8, 2014 – January 20, 2017
Acting: March 1, 2013 – April 8, 2014
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byMike Pool (acting)
Succeeded byKristin Bail (acting)
Personal details
BornElko, Nevada, U.S.
EducationWhitman College (BA)
London School of Economics (MA)

Neil Kornze is an American government official who served as director of the Bureau of Land Management from March 2013 to January 2017 under President Barack Obama.[1]

Early life and education

Kornze was born and raised in Elko, Nevada.[2] He graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, with a bachelor's degree in politics, and then earned a Master of Arts degree in international relations from the London School of Economics.[3]

Career

U.S. Senate

Kornze served in the office of Nevada Senator Harry Reid from 2003 until 2011,[4] where he worked on a variety of public lands issues, including renewable energy development, mining, water, outdoor recreation, rural development, and wildlife.[5] During his tenure, Kornze participated in the design of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which designated 2 million acres of wilderness, codified the National Landscape Conservation System, and added 1,000 river-miles to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.[3]

Bureau of Land Management

Kornze was the BLM's acting deputy director for policy and programs from October 2011 through March 2013, when he became the Principal Deputy Director and Acting Director,[6] where he worked on renewable and conventional energy, transmission siting, and conservation policy.[3] In November 2013, Kornze was nominated to be the bureau's director[4] and in April 2014, that nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 71–28.[1]

Only a few days after his confirmation, Kornze was pulled into the national spotlight due to events related to the Bundy standoff in northeastern Clark County, Nevada.[7]

Later career

Since 2019, Kornze has worked as the CEO of the Campion Foundation and Campion Advocacy Fund.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b Itkowitz, Colby (April 8, 2014). "Senate confirms Neil Kornze as BLM director". Washington Post. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  2. ^ Kobak McKown, Marianne (20 January 2017). "Neil Kornze talks about accomplishments, issues of BLM". Elko Daily Free Press. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
  3. ^ a b c "Obama picks Nevadan Neil Kornze as next BLM head". High County News. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  4. ^ a b Straehley, Steve. "Director of the Bureau of Land Management: Who Is Neil Kornze?". AllGov. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  5. ^ "Neil Kornze, Director, Bureau of Land Management". U.S. Department of the Interior. Archived from the original on May 6, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  6. ^ Clarke, Chris (November 8, 2013). "Obama Nominee for BLM Gets Mixed Reception From Pols, Enviros". KCET. Archived from the original on May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  7. ^ "Hagar: Amodei praises new BLM head following Bundy spat". Reno Gazette-Journal. April 26, 2014.
  8. ^ Savage, Carrie. "Campion Advocacy Fund Names Neil Kornze as New CEO". Campion. Retrieved 2021-09-04.


Categories