Water Lawyer, John Bezdek, Breakfasts with IGC Fellows

Collective Reflections from IGC breakfast with John Bezdek

On Friday, February 17th, four lucky IGC Fellows, including myself, had the honor of joining water rights lawyer Mr. John Bezdek for breakfast. We had the privilege of tapping into his wealth of knowledge on water resources issues gained from his 23 years of experience in the field. What a rare opportunity it was to hear about his integral roles within the Interior’s Indian Water Rights Office and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and his experiences working with members of Congress, Executive Branch officials, and state, local, and tribal governments.

John Bezdek, is a water lawyer who works primarily on water rights, water allocation, and water policy in the west.  John has more than 23 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for resolution of conflicts in the protection and enhancement of tribal water and fishing rights, development and management of water resources, and protection and propagation of endangered species.

Conversing with Mr. Bezdek gave us a unique opportunity to gain perspective from someone who is deeply involved in the legal ramifications of some of the most pressing wicked problems facing the U.S., particularly the western part of the country. Not only did we gain invaluable insights from his legal perspective, but Mr. Bezdek also shared his thoughts on pursuing environmental careers within the federal government versus the private sector.

As early-career individuals interested in similar issues that his career has focused on, Mr. Bezdek provided us with incredibly valuable guidance and encouragement. It was a wonderful opportunity to chat over breakfast with someone who has played a pivotal role in domestic water resources issues over the past couple of decades. It was an experience that made us realize how fortunate we are as IGC Fellows to have such esteemed networking and career-building opportunities available to us.

Written by Luke Goodman with contributions from other attendees: Caleb O'Brien, Amir Mortazavigazar, and Becki Riddle.