SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Terry Fulp, who served as the Bureau of Reclamation’s regional director for the Lower Colorado River Basin and played a lead role in negotiating drought contingency plans, operating guidelines and binational agreements with Mexico, was elected president of the Water Education Foundation’s board of directors.

“I believe the best solutions to the complex challenges we face in Western water management result from an approach based on collaboration, partnerships, transparency and sound technical information. Education and outreach are critical aspects of this approach, and the Foundation has a proven track record of success in these areas,” said Fulp, who retired from his position in October 2020.

“Furthermore, I believe we all have a mandate to leave a legacy of next-generation leaders and the Foundation plays an integral part in achieving this goal,” he said, referring to the Foundation’s Water Leaders professional development programs in California and the Colorado River Basin.

Fulp served as a mentor during the Foundation’s inaugural Colorado River Water Leaders cohort in 2022.

Fulp Replaces Late Board President Mike Chrisman

Fulp replaces Mike Chrisman, former California Natural Resources secretary, who passed away in October 2022. Chrisman, a fourth-generation Californian who owned a family ranching and farming business in Tulare County, had joined the Foundation’s board in 2017. In 2020, he followed in the footsteps of his father, Ira “Jack” Chrisman, who was the Foundation’s founding president in 1977.

“We are still mourning Mike’s passing but we are thrilled to have a leader with Terry’s extensive background in Western water management to lead the board,” said Yung-Hsin Sun with Sunzi Consulting, who sits on the Foundation’s Executive Committee as its Secretary. 

The Foundation’s Board of Directors elected Fulp to the three-year post on March 13. The volunteer board of more than 30 members representing a broad cross-section of water, education, business, environmental, agricultural and public interest communities governs the Foundation. The Foundation is led day-to-day by Executive Director Jenn Bowles who oversees a team of teachers, journalists and nonprofit professionals.

An impartial nonprofit based in Sacramento, the Foundation focuses on producing news, maps, publications, workshops and tours to raise awareness of water issues in California and across the Colorado River Basin. In addition, the Foundation serves as the California coordinator of Project WET, a K-12 program that helps teachers learn how to bring lessons on water science into the classroom.

Fulp Instrumental In Key Colorado River Initiatives 

Before retiring, Fulp oversaw the Lower Colorado Basin Region that encompasses the last 700 miles of the Colorado River in the United States to the Mexican border. It includes Southern California, Southern Nevada, and most of Arizona.

His responsibilities included implementation of the Interior Secretary’s watermaster functions in the Lower Colorado Basin, management of hydropower operations and maintenance of federal facilities, including Hoover Dam, and implementation of the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program.

During his 31-year career, Fulp was instrumental in the negotiation and execution of several major Colorado River water policy initiatives, including guidelines for the coordinated operation of Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plans, and binational agreements (Minutes 319 and 323) pursuant to the 1944 treaty with Mexico.

In 2018, Terry received the Presidential Rank Award for meritorious Federal service.