Department of the Interior

Office of the Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2006
Contact: Shane Wolfe
202-208-6416
Secretary Kempthorne Announces Additions to Interior Staff

WASHINGTONSecretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today announced that Gary L. Smith, Michael Bogert and David Lehman will join the Secretary's staff at the Department of the Interior.

Smith, currently the Idaho insurance director, will join the Department as Director of External and Intergovernmental Affairs. Bogert, currently EPA Northwest Regional Administrator, will join the Department as Counselor to the Secretary. Lehman, most recently the policy director in Kempthorne's office when he served as Governor of Idaho, will join the Department as Senior Advisor to the Secretary.

"Gary, Michael and David have each already proven themselves as dedicated public servants," Kempthorne said. "I look forward to working with each of them again as I know they will be great assets to the Interior Department and will serve the American people well."

Smith worked as an administrative assistant in Kempthorne's office when he served as Mayor of Boise. Later, he worked as deputy legislative director in Kempthorne's office when he served as U.S. Senator. In that position he served as Senator Kempthorne's government affairs advocate to state and local government groups and coordinated the development and subsequent negotiations on legislation such as the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. In addition, Smith worked as director of government affairs, deputy chief of staff/policy director and Washington office director in Kempthorne's office when he served as Governor of Idaho. Since December 2004, he has worked as the Director of the Idaho Department of Insurance, managing 72 employees and annual revenues of more than $80 million.

Smith replaces Kit Kimball, who left Interior in April to join her husband in Florida.

Smith received a B.A. in business administration from Linfield College in Oregon in 1972. He began his career as a state police trooper in Astoria and Beaverton, Ore. and worked as a police officer in Portland, Ore. His political experience dates back to service as a city council member in Boise, Idaho, from 1988-1990. He also worked as a vice president and general manager of The Mode, Ltd. in Boise for ten years.

Bogert has served as EPA Northwest Regional Administrator, based in Seattle, Wash., since August 2005 when he was appointed by President Bush. During his tenure, he injected new energy into the Coeur d'Alene Basin Commission and its collaborative efforts in northern Idaho and helped negotiate a landmark agreement with a Canadian firm to fund the investigation of potential contamination in the Upper Columbia River in Washington State. He fostered partnerships with both Oregon and Washington, as well as provided advice and counsel to Alaska in the state's initiative to assume delegation of Clean Water Act permitting authority.

Bogert worked for more than five years as Counsel to the Governor in Kempthorne's office when he served as Governor of Idaho. In this capacity, Bogert advised Kempthorne and executive branch agencies on legal implications of state policy and legislation, with an emphasis on environmental issues. He also represented Kempthorne in the landmark tribal water rights settlement with the Nez Perce Tribe.

Before joining Kempthorne's office, Bogert worked as chief deputy legal affairs secretary for California Governor Pete Wilson.

Bogert is a graduate of the University of Santa Clara and the University of Idaho College of Law. He has previously worked for Perkins Coie LLP in Boise, Idaho and for the Office of Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Lehman, in addition to working as policy director, also served as senior policy advisor in Kempthorne's office when he served as Governor of Idaho. In this capacity, Lehman advised Kempthorne on all healthcare, social services, state government and military policy and budget matters.

Before joining Kempthorne's office, Lehman worked as a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley in Boise, Idaho. He has previously worked for International Health Awareness Center in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Lehman received his B.A. in economics and business administration from Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Kempthorne was confirmed as the 49th Secretary of the Interior by the U.S. Senate on May 26. He was formally sworn in on June 7.