Jay Jensen Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Department of Agriculture
For over a decade Jay Jensen has been involved in and led natural resource legislation and policy, especially on forestry and bioenergy.  A forester and wildland firefighter, his work at the national level and on a west-wide basis has given him invaluable insights into the needs and challenges facing the management of our nation’s forests lands.  Previously, Jay was the Executive Director for the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC), a Denver-based federal-state government partnership of western agency directors, and for the Council of Western State Foresters.  Prior to that Jay served as the Senior Forestry Advisor for the Western Governor’s Association, covering forest health, wildfire and biomass energy issues.  In addition, Jay served as lead forestry advisor for the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, and also served as the lead policy analyst for the National Association of State Foresters.  Jay has been a member of the Society of American Foresters since 1998.  He grew up in southern California, and holds a degree in biology and geography from the University of California at Los Angeles, and a Master’s degree in forestry from Colorado State University.


Victor Vasquez Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Victor Vasquez was appointed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack as Deputy Under Secretary for USDA Rural Development on May 13, 2009.  Vasquez has had more than two decades of experience in the government and private sector in community and economic development at the local, state, federal and international levels.  His special interest is local decision making and leadership development.  Most recently, Vasquez served as Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the Department of Transitional Assistance for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. His responsibilities included policy and program management for TANF, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance and the Housing and Homeless Services programs. In addition to Massachusetts, he has worked in state governments in New York, Oregon and Washington.  Previously, Vasquez worked in Washington as the Director for both economic development and Workfirst programs, and he also served with the Department of Defense as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Military Community and Family Policy Office in the Office of the Secretary. Victor spent more than five years working in Rural Development, serving as USDA Assistant Administrator in the Office of Community Development with responsibility for launching the Rural Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program.  Vasquez received his Bachelor’s of Science Degree from the University of Oregon and holds an MPA from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He has also pursued coursework toward a PhD in Community and Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University.