Kaelyn Anfinsen

Executive Assistant

Kaelyn Anfinsen has served as the executive assistant for DNR since 2009. She works with the executive director and his deputy directors managing office personnel and handling agendas, correspondence, scheduling and all other administrative functions. Anfinsen also coordinates meetings for DNR’s leadership team, NRCC and the Utah Water Task Force.

Before joining DNR’s administrative office, Anfinsen served as administrative assistant for three years for the Utah Division of Water Rights. Prior to her employment in state government, Anfinsen was the administrative assistant to the regional manager at United Parcel Service for many years.  She has also worked for Coca-Cola and Bonneville International Corporation.

Anfinsen and her husband Ken live in West Valley and have four children and 11 grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, camping, sewing and locking herself in her craft room.

Jeff Rasmussen

State Parks and Recreation Director

Jeff Rasmussen serves as the director of the Utah Division of State Parks, overseeing the administration of Utah’s 46 beautiful state parks, along with state monuments and historic properties. The mission of Utah State Parks is to provide fun and educational opportunities throughout the state.

Jeff has served as director for the division since 2018. Prior to his appointment as director, Jeff served the division as deputy director and as a regional manager before that. He started his career with the division in 1992 as a park ranger at Antelope Island State Park. Later he was assigned to Palisade State Park where he served as a park ranger. In 1998, he became the assistant park manager at Yuba State Park and was promoted to park manager in 2002.

Jeff learned to love the outdoors from an early age when his family camped and played at national and state parks throughout the West. Jeff came to Utah to attend Brigham Young University and graduated with his degree in geography, with a minor in natural resources.

John Baza

Oil, Gas and Mining Director

John Baza was appointed Director of the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining in May 2005 during the first term of then Governor Jon M. Huntsman. He leads the division’s efforts in the responsible development of the state’s oil and gas resources, regulation of coal and mineral mining, and the public safety protection efforts of abandoned mine reclamation.

Baza is a registered professional engineer in Utah and holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in petroleum engineering from Stanford University. Baza’s career spans over four decades of working with the energy and mineral extractive industries, including engineering positions with Phillips Petroleum Co., Amoco Production Co., and Flying J.

He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers since 1976, having held various officers’ positions including section chairman, program chairman and scholarship committee chairman.  He also represents the State of Utah as a delegate in several national governmental associations including the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, the Interstate Mining Compact Commission, and the Ground Water Protection Council.

Wade Kloos

GIS Director

Todd Adams

 Water Resources Director

Todd Adams was appointed deputy director of the Department of Natural Resources in August 2021. He previously served as the director of the Utah Division of Water Resources since December 2019. Todd has worked for Water Resources since 1990, serving as director, deputy director, assistant director over the planning branch, manager of the hydrology & computer application section and the state’s cloud seeding coordinator. He started his career with the division as a staff engineer where he was tasked with water demand and supply modeling for the Wasatch Front, the State of Utah, as well as individual river models.  He has also served as the division’s legislative liaison from 2009-2019.

He holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s of engineering from Utah State University. He is a registered professional engineer.

Jamie Barnes

Forestry, Fire and State Lands Director

Jamie Barnes serves as the Utah State Forester and Director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. The Division administers numerous forestry programs, is responsible for wildfire management on state and private lands, and oversees Utah’s state sovereign lands. Prior to her appointment as State Forester and the division’s director in August 2021, Jamie managed the division’s sovereign lands program.

Jamie has a diverse background working with state, local, and federal government and a variety of stakeholders to forge collaborative solutions to policy challenges. She began her career in the legal system, working in the private law sector. There, she gained experience and knowledge in criminal and civil law. She started with the Division in 2011 as a paralegal, focusing on complex legal issues.  Jamie holds a master’s of natural resource degree from the University of Idaho with an undergraduate degree in criminal justice from Weber State University.

Brian Steed

Executive Director

Brian Steed

Brian Steed was appointed DNR executive director in 2019 by Governor Gary R. Herbert, and reappointed in 2021 by Governor Spencer Cox. He leads an agency of 1,300 employees from seven divisions, including Forestry, Fire and State Lands; Oil, Gas and Mining; Parks and Recreation; Utah Geological Survey; Water Resources; Water Rights; and Wildlife Resources.

Steed previously served in Washington DC as the Bureau of Land Management’s deputy director for policy and programs, exercising the authority of the director from 2017-2019. Before that, he served as chief of staff to Congressman Chris Stewart from 2013 to 2017. Steed has also served as the deputy county attorney for Iron County and taught political science and economics at Utah State University (USU).

A native of Logan, Utah, Steed attended USU, where he earned both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in political science. He also holds a Ph.D. in public policy with an emphasis in environmental policy from Indiana University Bloomington and a J.D. from S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, with a certificate in natural resources and environmental law.

Steed and his wife, Leslie, have three children and reside in Davis County. Among his many interests, he enjoys hiking, biking, skiing, fishing and doing almost anything else outdoors.

Teresa Wilhelmsen

State Engineer and Water Rights Director

Teresa Wilhelmsen was appointed in 2020 as the State Engineer. She is responsible for the general administrative supervision of the waters of the state and the measurement, appropriation, apportionment, and distribution of those waters.

Wilhelmsen joined the Division of Water Rights in 1997 and most recently served as an assistant state engineer and the division’s hearing officer. Prior to that, she served as a regional engineer at the Utah Lake and Jordan River Regional Office, and as the division’s adjudication program manager. Before joining the division, Wilhelmsen worked for the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration and Utah Division of Forestry. She is a professional engineer and graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

Darin Bird

Deputy Director

Darin Bird currently serves as DNR deputy director.  He joined Department leadership in 1998 as communication director and legislative liaison. As deputy director, he has continued his work with the legislature and also works with congressional delegation on federal issues.  His current portfolio includes supervision of the Divisions of Parks and Recreation, Water Resources and the Utah Geological Survey.  Bird is also DNR’s representative on the Virgin River Administration Committee and the Upper Colorado River Program.

Previously, Bird served on the personal staff of U.S. Senator Robert Bennett in several capacities. He has also served as senior policy advisor for the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee chaired by former Utah Congressman James Hansen and as special assistant and director of Constituent Services for Utah Governor Norman Bangerter.

Bird grew up in Cedar City and Santa Clara, Utah and graduated from Dixie College and Southern Utah University.  While attending SUU, he served as student body president and president of the Utah Student Association. He was also the first recipient of the SUU Young Alumni Award. Bird currently serves as a member of the Murray Shade Tree and Beautification Commission and as a board member for This Is the Place Heritage Park and the Michael O. Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service at SUU. In his free time, Bird enjoys traveling and exploring Utah’s amazing trails on an ATV.  Darin and his wife Lola live in Murray, Utah and have one daughter, Lauren.

Roger Lewis

Finance Director

Roger Lewis became the Finance Director for DNR in April of 2017.  His primary responsibilities include managing DNR’s finances and coordinating budgeting and accounting activities with DNR’s seven divisions.  Lewis also oversees the internal audit function of the department.

Lewis has worked for the State since 1988, starting as a tax auditor for the Utah State Tax Commission.  In 1999, Lewis joined DNR’s internal audit staff and later became the audit manager.  After working in internal audit for six years, Lewis became the Administrative Services Director for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, & State Lands, one of DNR’s seven divisions, where he oversaw the accounting and budgeting of that division for eleven years.  Lewis has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Utah and a Masters of Business Administration from Utah State University.

Lewis and his wife, Andrea, have three children.  Lewis enjoys many outdoor activities such as camping.  Besides his family, his main passion is photography, particularly wildlife photography where he spends a large amount of his outdoor time enjoying the wonders of the natural world.

Tyler Thompson

Watershed Program Director

Tyler Thompson has worked for DNR since 1997 starting his career as a seasonal employee collecting vegetation trend data for DNR’s Division of Wildlife Resources Range trend program.  Since this time, Tyler has worked as a research biologist in the development of new grass and forb seed releases and as one of the first restoration biologists hired to implement projects in southern Utah funded through Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative (UWRI).  For the last decade, Tyler has been a part of WRI’s statewide administration staff.  In that position, Tyler helped find matching funding for WRI projects and administered the incoming and outgoing funding contracts to help get project dollars on the ground each year.  In January of 2017, Tyler was selected as DNR’s watershed program director.  Tyler coordinates and manages WRI through five regional teams that submit and review over 150 restoration projects each year.  WRI completes nearly 100,000 acres of restoration work each year in Utah.

Tyler grew up in Orem, Utah where he graduated from Mountain View High School, attended Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University.  Tyler received both a bachelors and masters degree from BYU where he did his graduate research on the use of both native and non-native seed mixes for fire rehabilitation in the Tintic valley, Utah following the 1999 Railroad fire.

Tyler and his wife Brooke have been married for 15 years and currently live in West Jordan.  Tyler enjoys fishing, outdoor photography and riding off-road motorcycles through Utah’s beautiful desert and mountain landscapes.

R. William (Bill) Keach

State Geologist/UGS Director

Bill Keach joined the Utah Geological Survey (UGS) as director and state geologist in 2019. He is responsible for ensuring UGS follows the Survey’s duties and responsibilities as defined in state code, including financial and personnel management, and guiding strategic development.

Prior to joining UGS, Keach worked as a senior oil and gas engineer at the California Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources. He is a geoscientist, educator and technology expert with 30+ years of experience in industry, academia and regulatory state government. He maintains an aggressive perspective and interest in the role modern technology plays in advancing industry efficiency and is an FAA certified remote drone pilot.

Keach is a visiting associate professor of geology at Brigham Young University and visiting instructor at the University of Utah’s Department of Chemical Engineering. He has a bachelor’s of science degree in Geology from BYU and a master’s degree in Geophysics from Cornell University.

Bill enjoys spending time with his family and grandchildren. Like most geologists he takes advantage of every opportunity to share the wonder of Utah’s great outdoors with anyone and everyone. He is an avid fan of college basketball, ATV riding and traveling. He hopes to get to Antarctica to complete his travels to all seven continents.

Nathan Schwebach

Communications Director

Nathan Schwebach joined DNR in 2015 as the communications director and public information officer. His primary responsibilities include managing DNR’s public and government outreach efforts and overseeing the department’s social and digital platforms. Schwebach also coordinates marketing and media outreach efforts between DNR and its seven divisions.

Prior to joining DNR, Schwebach was the public relations director for ThomasArts, a full-service advertising and communication firm in Farmington, Utah. As an expert in strategic communication, he has worked with a variety of public, private, government and nonprofit organizations throughout the United States, including General Motors, Subway Restaurants, Cancer Research Institute, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Comcast, Natural History Museum of Utah, Utah Department of Transportation, AARP and Aetna. Schwebach has a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations from the University of Utah.

Schwebach and his wife Kristi have three children and live in Herriman, Utah. He enjoys camping, ice fishing, riding off-highway vehicles and exploring Utah’s beautiful wilderness. In his spare time he helps increase awareness of Type One Diabetes and has served as a board member for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in Utah.

Christopher Keleher

Recovery Program Director

Christopher Keleher has been the DNR director of Recovery Programs since 2018. He serves as program director for both the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program and the Virgin River Resource Management and Recovery Program. He also represents Utah on the Colorado River Fish Recovery Program where he serves as chair of the Management Committee.  Keleher works statewide to help solve conflicts between local communities and species conservation.

Prior to serving in his current capacity, Keleher served as the recovery program deputy director and was responsible for administering the Endangered Species Mitigation Fund (ESMF). The fund is designed to prevent new federal listings of species under the Endangered Species Act and to work toward recovering Threatened and Endangered species currently listed under the act.

Keleher oversee the ESMF and represent DNR in the June Sucker Recovery and Implementation Program and the Virgin River Resource Management and Recovery Program. Additionally, he also represent Utah on the Colorado River Fish Recovery Program.

Mike Tribe

Human Resources Field Office Director

Michael Tribe joined the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in 2017 as the Human Resources Director.  Mr. Tribe has a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Utah. His primary responsibilities include managing and directing DNR Human Resources team and government outreach efforts and overseeing the department’s recruitment, classification, compensation, performance management and liability issues for DNR and its seven divisions.

Prior to joining DNR, Mr. Tribe served the state of Utah in a variety of Human Resources positions and agencies since 1993, most recently as the Human Resources Manager for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.   

Mr. Tribe and his wife Marci have four children and live in Bountiful, Utah. He is an avid fan of the Utah Jazz and the University of Utah and enjoys enjoying traveling throughout Utah’s to take in the scenic beauty. In his spare time he enjoys singing in two local community choirs, Utah Voices and Witness Music.

Bill Boudreau

Information Technology Director

Bill Boudreau joined the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in 2013 as the information technology director. His primary responsibilities include overseeing DNR’s technical environment with application development and maintenance, desktop support, servers, network and help desk.

Prior to joining DNR, Boudreau was the information technology director for the Utah Department of Corrections.  He has worked for the State of Utah in various technology roles and capacities since 1994.  Boudreau has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Weber State University.  He has also served in the US Army Reserve as a field artillery officer and is a graduate of the US Army Officer Candidate School in Fort Benning, Georgia.

Boudreau and his wife Kellie have one son and three grandchildren and live in West Point, Utah. He is an avid cyclist and also enjoys camping in Utah’s beautiful wilderness.