Kacey KC

Kacey KC is the 15^th Oregon State Forester and the director of the Oregon Department of Forestry. She leads ODF in its mission to protect and promote resilient forests that benefit all Oregonians. 

A native of Gardnerville, NV, KC’s career in forestry and natural resource management began as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal where she worked in community forestry and helping develop land and forest management plans. She joined the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) in 2002, as a seasonal conservation aid at the Washoe State Tree Nursery. Over the next two decades, KC promoted through the ranks at NDF, taking on roles that expanded her expertise in wildland fire and natural resource management. 

In 2017, she was appointed to lead the Nevada Division of Forestry as the State Forester/Firewarden. Under her leadership, NDF achieved significant milestones, including the signing of Nevada’s Shared Stewardship Agreement with the federal government. She also drove the development and implementation of the agency’s first strategic plan, promoting deeper understanding and alignment at all levels of the organization. 

KC earned her bachelor’s degree in forestry-resource conservation from the University of Montana and has held leadership positions at the Council of Western State Foresters and the National Association of State Foresters, where she served as president in 2022. The same year, she was appointed as the state forestry agency representative on the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission where the 50-member board unanimously proposed 148 recommendations to Congress to address the wildfire crisis across the nation. Currently, she represents state forestry agencies on the Arbor Day Foundation board, a position she has held since 2024.