The University of Texas at Austin

Craig Pedersen

Craig Pedersen,
Vice President of Water and Wastewater in Texas, URS Corporation

Monday, September 17, 2007
12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

LBJ Student Lounge
Sid Richardson Hall, Unit 3
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
The University of Texas at Austin
2315 Red River Street
Austin, TX

Craig D. Pedersen, Vice President of Water and Wastewater in Texas for URS Corporation, and a graduate of the LBJ School, will be another wonderful guest in the new lunchtime speaker series cosponsored by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and the LBJ School Alumni Association. This event will be held on Monday September 17, 2007, 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. in the LBJ Student Lounge.  Mr. Pedersen will talk about the challenges and opportunities that accompany managing water in Texas.  He will address why we should care about water in Texas, how the water system is organized today, the factors influencing water management, challenges we face, and our plans for the future.

Mr. Pedersen has extensive experience in both the political and policymaking arenas. He has worked with a wide array of leading state political figures, including former Lieutenant Governors Bob Bullock and William P. Hobby.

Pedersen, who moved to Texas in 1979 to attend the LBJ School, has dedicated over 20 years of his career to public service in Texas. Before joining the TWDB, he was the Texas General Land Office's assistant deputy commissioner. He has also worked for the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, the Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts, and the Railroad Commission of Texas.

As the executive administrator of the Texas Water Development Board (TWBD), Mr. Pedersen played a crucial role in several administrative, water, and planning financial reform initiatives. He helped implement a new state planning initiative created under Senate Bill 1 (1997), and he helped expand the state's water infrastructure financing capabilities. With some $500 million in assets in 1991, the TWDB has expanded to a $4 billion infrastructure bank that funds needed water and wastewater projects statewide.

In 1999, Mr. Pedersen was chosen by the LBJ School Alumni Association to receive its Distinguished Public Service Award. This award is presently annually to a graduate of the LBJ School who has significantly contributed to public policy, excelled in his or her chosen field, shown dedication to community service and volunteerism, and demonstrated commitment to the LBJ School and its mission.

For those people who would like to see the presentation but are unable to attend, the event will be webcast in real-time as well as available for later viewing online. Visit the LBJ School's screening room Web site, www.utexas.edu/lbj/webcasts , on the day of the event to access the webcast. You will need to have QuickTime  installed to watch the streaming video.

For more information about this event, contact Brendan Lavy at 512-232-4004 or blavy@austin.utexas.edu.