Brenda Burman, the first woman to lead the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as its commissioner, is currently the general manager of the Central Arizona Project. 

Burman has more than 25 years of experience working on Western water and other natural resources issues. She joined CAP in 2021, and became the first woman to serve as its general manager in January of 2023. Prior to CAP, she served as Reclamation commissioner from 2017 to 2021.

Throughout her career, she has served as water and energy counsel for U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, and held senior positions at The Nature Conservancy, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Salt River Project in central Arizona.

Burman earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arizona College of Law and is licensed to practice law in Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming.

She joined the Water Education Foundation’s Board of Directors in 2025.