In 2023, the Utah Legislature created the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner. The commissioner has been tasked with developing and maintaining a strategic plan as well as coordinating collaborative work amongst all agencies and interests in relation to the lake.
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Address
Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner
1594 W. North Temple, Suite 3710
Salt Lake City, UT 84116
Media Inquiries
Morgan Keller
[email protected]
(801) 644-5852
To join our media distribution list, contact Kim Wells.
About the Commissioner
Brian Steed, JD PhD
Great Salt Lake Commissioner
(801) 538-4791
[email protected]
May 2023, Governor Spencer Cox appointed Brian Steed as the first Great Salt Lake Commissioner.
Currently, Steed also serves as executive director of the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air at Utah State University. As part of this role, he has served as co-chair of the Great Salt Lake Strike Team, a cooperative effort by Utah State University, the University of Utah, the Utah Department of Natural Resources and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality that provides up-to-date data and analysis of the lake as well as policy recommendations to the governor and legislators for the protection and preservation of the Great Salt Lake.
Previously, Steed has served as executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, deputy director of policy and programs of the Bureau of Land Management in Washington D.C., and chief of staff to Congressman Chris Stewart.
Steed holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in political science from Utah State University, a Juris Doctor and certificate in natural resources and environmental law from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah and a doctorate in public policy from Indiana University.
Deputy Commissioner
Hannah Freeze
Great Salt Lake Deputy Commissioner
(801) 538-4791
[email protected]
Hannah Freeze is the Deputy Commissioner for the Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office. She brings extensive conservation experience, most recently as Program Manager for the Agricultural Water Optimization Program at the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. In that role, she led efforts to optimize agricultural water use through strategic planning, legislative implementation, and new irrigation technologies.
Before this, Freeze developed and managed UDAF’s Agricultural Voluntary Incentives Program, assisting producers with nutrient management. Her 14-year career in conservation at UDAF and local conservation districts has been marked by building strong relationships with agricultural producers statewide, unifying and amplifying their voice in state-level discussions.
Recognized for her dedication, Freeze received the 2024 Governor’s Award for Excellence in agricultural water conservation.
A Utah State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in animal science, Freeze began her conservation career shortly after graduation.
Great Salt Lake Water Coordinators
Aspen Johnston (Southern GSL Basin Coordinator)
Prior to joining the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner, Aspen Johnston managed the adjudication program of Utah’s Division of Water Rights. Aspen is passionate about the Great Salt Lake, as with all of Utah’s unique and beautiful natural features. As a born-and-raised Utahn, the decline of the lake is a matter that is very close to home, as it is for many others who live in the Great Salt Lake Watershed. As a result, Aspen is highly dedicated to improving the health and levels of the Great Salt Lake as part of the Commissioner’s Office.
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (801) 645-1392
Micah Safsten (Northern GSL Basin Coordinator)
Micah Safsten has spent his career working on problems related to growth and water scarcity. Prior to working in the Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office, Micah was a Senior Policy Analyst for the Cache County Council. After moving to Utah in 2014, Micah worked as a Water Meter Reader for a local municipal water provider and as a Communications and Outreach Coordinator for the Utah Water Research Laboratory. Micah lives in Logan with his wife and four kids and enjoys spending time exploring and climbing the mountains of the West.
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (801) 648-0305