People of Reclamation: Meet Jill Dale, Regional Liaison the Mid Pacific Region

Written by: Stephen Major

Jill Dale, Regional Liaison the Mid Pacific RegionAt the Bureau of Reclamation, accepting a position as Regional Liaison means taking a two-year temporary duty-extended assignment to represent one of Reclamation’s five regions in the Commissioner’s Office in Washington DC. A post like that requires a dynamic and adventurous personality, like the one possessed by Jill Dale, Regional Liaison the Mid Pacific Region.

Dale grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, back when its population of 200,000 was about a third of what it is now. Since then she’s lived in Milwaukee, Chicago, Scottsdale, Yuma, San Francisco, Walnut Creek, and now Washington D.C.

“I love that being a liaison to the Commissioner’s Office means getting to spend two years living in the Nation’s capital,” Dale said. “DC is a great city, and getting to live here while also playing an important role representing my Region is a rare and valuable opportunity.”

Dale is an environmental scientist with both a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Nevada Las Vegas and a master’s degree in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco. Dale worked in the private sector for about ten years before joining Reclamation in 2010 as Supervisory Environmental Protection Specialist for the Yuma Area Office. Following this, Dale worked for FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“I had been working with FEMA for five years before returning to Reclamation,” Dale said. “After the 2017 disasters, I was completely burnt out on travel and having an uncertain schedule. I saw this position opened within Reclamation in Sacramento, and have enjoyed my previous experience with Reclamation, I was intrigued by the opportunity.”

Dale is a big sports fan, rooting for the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Vegas Golden Knights.

“I love to travel, and my favorite place on earth is Lake Tahoe (on the Nevada side, of course),” Dale said. “I have been going on an annual trek to New Orleans Jazz Festival for the last 25 years with a group of friends from college. I love seeing live music whenever possible.”

As a Regional Liaison, Dale has needed to gain expertise in a wide range of Reclamation activities, both in Boise and in DC. But it was Reclamation’s leadership that inspired her to apply for the job.

“I found the opportunity to work under the first female Commissioner of Reclamation a great and rewarding opportunity,” said Dale. “I miss my environmental days sometimes, but I find each day to be challenging, rewarding and exciting as I learn, and be a part of, the great things that Mid Pacific is doing for California, Nevada, and the Klamath Basin.”

Published on March 06, 2019