William E. Rinne, a 28-year Bureau of Reclamation veteran, has been named the bureau’s acting commissioner. Rinne’s appointment was announced on April 14, on the retirement of Commissioner John W. Keys. Rinne will lead the bureau until a permanent successor to Keys is nominated and confirmed.

Rinne, a Nebraska native, has been BuRec’s deputy commissioner and director of operations since 2003. He has spent his entire federal career at the bureau, which is part of the Interior Dept. Rinne has a bachelor's degree in biology and a master’s in zoology.

Keys announced in March that he was leaving BuRec. He spent 39 years there, including five as its chief. Keys is returning to Utah to spend time with his family, bureau officials say.