W. E. "Bill" West, Jr., joined the GBRA as its new General Manager on February 1, 1994 and assumed overall management responsibility for GBRA's eleven operating divisions throughout the Guadalupe River Basin. Under his leadership, GBRA has embarked on a new era of economic and natural resources development.

West began his water resources career in 1970 at the Lower Colorado River Authority. He was promoted to System Operations Manager in 1974, to Water Resources Director in 1984, and in 1986 was named Executive Director of Natural Resources. At LCRA, Mr. West participated throughout the Texas Water Commission adjudication of the Colorado River initiated in the early 1970's.

He was a key negotiator in several landmark water rights cases on the Colorado River and served on various State Water Oversight Committees appointed by the Governor. Mr. West has also participated in the development of the Balcones Canyon Conservation Plan in Travis County for the issuance of an Endangered Species Act 10-A permit.

Mr. West graduated from Texas A&M University in 1970 with a B.S. degree in Agricultural Engineering. He is a past president of the Texas Water Conservation Association and a member of the TWCA Board; past chairman of the Texas Water Forum; President of the National Water Resources Association; a member of the Senate Bill 1 Region L Water Planning Committee; and was appointed by Governor Rick Perry in 2003 to the state's Study Commission on Water for Environmental Flows. He has been active since coming to GBRA to achieve a long-term soloution to the Edwards Aquifer conflict. West and his wife Alexis have two children, Shemyn Warren and Clint West, and five grandchildren.