by Rose Bier - Saturday, July 29, 2017
Avid sportsman and Department of the Interior (DOI) veteran David Bernhardt has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the Deputy Secretary of the Interior, the agency’s second ranking official.
The Colorado native recently served on the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He has held various DOI positions, including serving as Solicitor after previously serving as a deputy solicitor, a deputy chief of staff and counselor to the Secretary, and as the director of congressional and legislative affairs and counselor to the Secretary.
“Finally, after months of waiting for confirmation in the Senate, I’m excited to welcome David Bernhardt back to the Department to serve as Interior’s Deputy Secretary,” said DOI Secretary Ryan Zinke in a press release from the Interior. “David’s extensive experience serving under previous Interior secretaries, his esteemed legal career and down-right love of our land and resources is exactly what is needed to help streamline government and make the Interior and our public lands work for the American economy. I look forward to swearing him in and having him on board to help put America first.”