David Hayes believes that the key to conserving water in the Bay Delta is a broader state plan. In his former position as Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the Department of Interior, Hayes facilitated the development of major renewable energy projects. Those projects included instituting permit reforms and introducing landscape-scale planning for solar projects on public lands and wind projects in offshore waters. Now, as a Visiting Lecturer at Stanford, Hayes has developed and taught courses focused on renewable and conventional energy development and regulation.

Hayes graduated summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame and received his J.D. from Stanford University.