Agriculture Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the appointment of Audrey Bettencourt to lead the department’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Bettencourt is a third-generation California farmer and most recently served as the Global Director of Government Relations and External Affairs at Netafim, an international company specializing in irrigation technology. Among other positions, Bettencourt previously served as President and CEO of the Almond Alliance of California, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump Administration, California State Executive Director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency, and Executive Director of the California Water Alliance.
As Chief, Bettencourt will lead NRCS staff and conservation programs that provide critical resources and technical assistance to America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to invest in their operations to improve working lands conservation, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitats.
National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) President Gary Blair welcomed Ms. Bettencourt to the helm of NRCS at a critical time for America’s producers and the Nation’s conservation delivery system. In a statement NACD said, “Our country’s 3,000 local conservation districts play a vital role in the effective administration of NRCS conservation programs, and they stand ready to work closely with Chief Bettencourt to serve our producers and champion the effectiveness of voluntary, locally led conservation. Chief Bettencourt’s extensive experience in farming, conservation, and government programs will enable her to be highly effective in this role.”