Mr. C.W. (Bill) Ruth was appointed U.S. Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission by President George W. Bush in November 2008. He previously worked for the U.S. Section of the Commission for 25 years before retiring in 1998. During his tenure at the Commission, he served as Principal Engineer of the Special Projects Department (1997-1998), overseeing the Office of Construction Activities and the Office of Facility Planning. As Principal Engineer, he took a lead role in supervising construction of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Diego and in developing wastewater infrastructure plans for Mexican border communities through a program funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
He also held management positions in various divisions and offices, including Division Engineer, Office of Construction Activities (1994-1997), Division Engineer, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (1993-1994), Division Engineer, Engineering and Construction (1990-1993), Division Engineer, Operations and Maintenance (1987-1990), and Project Manager of the Lower Rio Grande Flood Control Project (1985-1987). In these roles, he gained extensive experience working with the agency’s flood control projects, Amistad and Falcon international storage dams and hydroelectric power plants, and international wastewater treatment plants. In 1995, he received the Bronze Medal for Commendable Service from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the planning, design, and initial phase of construction for the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant.
In November 2002, Mr. Ruth was appointed by President Bush as Chairman and United States Representative of the Rio Grande Compact Commission. The Commission is responsible for the accounting and distribution of waters of the Rio Grande among the States of Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas from the river's headwaters in Colorado to Fort Quitman, Texas.
Mr. Ruth is a native of La Feria, Texas in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. He graduated from La Feria High School in 1955 and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from Texas Tech University in 1959. Mr. Ruth is a Registered Professional Engineer with the State of Texas.
Prior to his employment with the Commission, Mr. Ruth was employed by the E.I. DuPont Co. of Wilmington, Delaware and the Bureau of Reclamation, where he worked on several projects in the western United States.
Mr. Ruth and his wife, Loretta, have three children, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. |
