RENO, Nev. — On this particular Friday afternoon, David Bobzien is in the San Francisco International Airport during a layover on his way home to Reno, Nev. In mere hours, he will be trading his business shoes for hiking boots to lead a Boy Scout backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
For Bobzien, who covers five western states as a senior director in regulatory and political affairs for NextEra Energy Resources, the seamless transition from business meeting to backcountry captures the rhythm of his life.
“I try to be 100% present wherever I am,” says Bobzien. “If the little guy wants to throw a baseball on the weekend, that’s time for him.”
The “little guy” is David III, Bobzien’s 6-year-old son who spent the previous Sunday selling popcorn with his dad for his local Cub Scout pack. Scouting is a tradition that runs deep in the Bobzien family—all four of his children are involved. His only daughter is a Girl Scout, and his twin boys are closing in on Eagle Scout.
“Scouting was a big part of growing up for me. I learned so many life lessons,” reflects Bobzien, himself an Eagle Scout. “I learned about the outdoors, survival, first aid, leadership, citizenship—all important values.”
That foundation has served him well in his professional life, where he navigates the intersection of energy development and public policy in a territory that includes Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Washington and Oregon. It’s work that demands the same skills Scouting taught him years ago: leadership, preparation and adaptability.
“We have a lot going on in the West, in terms of the development pipeline, and it’s exciting to support it,” says Bobzien.
Just this week, he found himself thanking a legislator who had worked closely with NextEra Energy Resources to find a beneficial solution for her region’s needs.
“She fully understands her constituents’ needs, and she worked very closely with us, with industry to find a solution that would work for everyone involved,” he says. “Having these types of long-term, meaningful conversations about how we can do right by these communities is so rewarding.”
Bobzien is originally from Northern Virginia, but a family trip to Montana in his youth planted the seeds for a western migration. After completing his undergraduate degree on the east coast, he left for Boise, Idaho, drawn by the region’s vast landscapes and endless possibilities.
“I immediately knew I wanted to be out west, and I was interested in public policy. That’s been a common thread all the way through to where I am today,” he says.
His path included a summer working for the National Park Service and a detour into information technology before ultimately converging on energy while serving in the Nevada legislature. Now based in Reno, with easy access to Lake Tahoe, Bobzien has found his perfect professional fit.
When he travels for work, fly rods often accompany his suitcase. Building business relationships on the water has created the space for the most meaningful conversations.
"If you want to get involved and make things better in Nevada, you just get to work," said Bobzien, who has spent years giving back to his adopted home state. "Nevada has been very good to me. I hope I am returning the contribution with my service."
For Bobzien, that service extends into his professional responsibilities at NextEra Energy Resources, where he finds opportunities for the company to contribute to western communities.
"It's a pledge to service," he reflects on what his work means to him. "And if you get a night out under the stars here and there, that's nice too."
As his plane prepared for takeoff that Friday evening, Bobzien anticipated Saturday's adventure with his twin boys. Under the same Western skies that first called to him decades ago, he teaches the Scouting lessons he learned as a kid: that true leadership means being fully present for whatever trail lies ahead.
