Neil Kornze

Kornze was born and raised in Elko, Nevada.^[2] He attended Elko High School. He graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, with a bachelor's degree in politics, and then earned a Master of Arts degree in international relations from the London School of Economics.^[3]

Kornze served in the office of Nevada Senator Harry Reid from 2003 until 2011,^[4] where he worked on a variety of public lands issues, including renewable energy development, mining, water, outdoor recreation, rural development, and wildlife.^[5] During his tenure, Kornze participated in the design of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which designated 2 million acres of wilderness, codified the National Landscape Conservation System, and added 1,000 river-miles to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.^[3]

Kornze was the BLM's acting deputy director for policy and programs from October 2011 through March 2013, when he became the Principal Deputy Director and Acting Director,^[6] where he worked on renewable and conventional energy, transmission siting, and conservation policy.^[3] In November 2013, Kornze was nominated to be the bureau's director^[4] and in April 2014, that nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 71–28.^[1]

Only a few days after his confirmation, Kornze was pulled into the national spotlight due to events related to the Bundy standoff in northeastern Clark County, Nevada.^[7]

Since 2019, Kornze has worked as the CEO of the Campion Foundation and Campion Advocacy Fund.^[8]