In this 2020 oral history interview, former State Representative Carl Holmes discusses his observations of state water policy formulation in the 1970's through 2012. Holmes began his involvement in water policy as a farmer and active member of his community in southwest Kansas. In many respects, his experiences reflect the water-energy nexus. Holmes describes how he had observed cities and irrigators mining water in southwest Kansas. He recalls developing a comprehensive understanding of water issues by interviewing the managers of the state’s water resources.

Dave Heinemann earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science and German from Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1967, and attended graduate school in International Relations at the University of Kansas. He received his Juris Doctorate from Washburn University School of Law in 1973. Heinemann was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives from Garden City in 1968. He was Speaker pro tem of the House two terms (1985-1988) and chaired several committees including the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

After a 33-year teaching career at Washburn University’s School of Law, in 2020 David Pierce retired as emeritus Professor of Law and Norman R. Pozez Chair in Business and Transactional Law. Professor Pierce’s teaching and scholarship focused on oil and gas law, energy law, and environmental law, with an emphasis on Kansas law and policy. He also devoted substantial time to teaching these subjects to practicing lawyers.

David Pope grew up on a farm in Oklahoma and attended Oklahoma State University where he received his bachelor's and Master's degrees in Agricultural Engineering. Pope began his professional career as an Extension Irrigation Engineer in the Cooperative Extension Service at Kansas State University. He then served as Manager of Groundwater Management District No. 3 in Garden City before moving to Topeka. Pope served as Assistant Chief Engineer and Chief Engineer-Director, in the Division of Water Resources of the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

Earl Watkins, a Kansas native, retired as president and CEO of the Sunflower Electric Power Corporation (Sunflower) in 2012 having served in that role since 2004. Prior to becoming president and CEO, Watkins served as Sunflower’s general counsel. Before he began his career at Sunflower, Watkins was in the private practiced of law, co-founding the firm of Watkins Calcera, Chtd. in Great Bend, KS. Watkins attended the University of Kansas obtaining his undergraduate and law degrees there.

Dr. Ed Flentje, Professor Emeritus at the Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs at Wichita State University, served as Director of that School from 1999 to 2008. Flentje has a long career as both an academic and practitioner of public affairs. From 1975-1979, Flentje was a member of Governor Robert Bennett’s Cabinet and Director of State Planning and Research. During his tenure as Director of State Planning, he served on the Governor’s Task Force on Water Resources which met for two years and published its final report in 1978.

Janis Lee is a native Kansan and graduate of West Smith County High School and Kansas State University. Lee, a Democrat, served as a Kansas state senator from 1989 until 2011. Her first campaign for the state senate in 1988 was against a popular Republican incumbent. She continued to be re-elected though her district changed through two rounds of redistricting, again defeating an incumbent Republican when their districts were merged. She was elected to the position of Assistant Minority Leader in 1997, a post she held until she left the Senate.

From the early 1980s until 2007, Jim Haines was in executive management of Kansas Gas & Electric, Western Resources, and Westar Energy with a break when he was an executive at El Paso Electric Company in Texas. Prior to his career in Kansas, Jim was involved in utility regulation with the Missouri Public Service Commission in the mid- to late 1970s. Jim was born and raised in Jackson, Michigan where he began his post-secondary education at the Jackson Community College. He earned degrees from the University of Missouri Columbia in English Literature and Law.

Joe Harkins served Kansas for over 40 years in a variety of roles. He was Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (1979-1982), and Director of the Kansas Water Office (1982 to 1991 and 2004-2004). Harkins was appointed in 1991 as Director of the University of Kansas Public Management Center in Topeka. In 2007he was appointed to the Kansas Corporation Commission. Harkins graduated from Ottawa High School, 1956; and the University of Kansas (BA) in 1960, and (MPA) 1963.

John O. Farmer III is the Chairman of the oil and gas production company, John O. Farmer, Inc., in Russell, KS. He is a 1963 graduate of the Missouri School of Mines, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering. In 1971, he became a registered professional engineer (by examination) in Kansas. He served on the Advisory Board of the Tertiary Oil Recovery Program at KU beginning in 1974.