Michael Brain Named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science

Date: Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today announced that Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation Michael Brain has been named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science. Michael succeeds Tanya Trujillo who was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Water and Science on June 25, 2021, and announced her resignation, effective July 17, 2023.

“We welcome Michael, who brings more than a decade of experience in water resource development and management issues, as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science,” said Chief of Staff Rachael Taylor. “Michael will play a key role as Interior continues to implement President Biden’s Investing in America agenda that is delivering historic resources to communities, helping advance drought resilience and strengthening local economies.”

Under Trujillo’s leadership, Interior took various actions to protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System, employed an all-of-government approach to tackling the climate and drought crises and supported cutting edge science initiatives that are helping the federal government make science-based decisions.

“Since the start of the Biden-Harris administration, Interior has taken a leading role in making unprecedented investments in drought resilience and water management and ensuring that the Department’s decisions are made with sound science. Tanya has been at the center of these efforts. We are grateful for her strong leadership and vision at the Department and wish her the very best in her future endeavors,” said Chief of Staff Taylor.

Michael Brain has served as Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation since March 2022. In this role, he oversaw the agency’s media relations, internal communications and congressional relations programs to increase awareness and understanding of Reclamation’s mission priorities, policies and programs. Before joining Reclamation, Michael held a variety of positions in the U.S. House of Representatives, including as Counsel for the Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment and as a professional staffer for the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Appropriations. In these roles, he developed funding bills that supported national water policy, agriculture and climate resilience across the United States. Michael earned a Doctor of Law degree in urban planning, land use and environmental law from Saint Louis University in 2013, and a Bachelor of Arts in political science and government from Boston College in 2006.

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