hwilkes24@nul.org

Homer Wilkes, Ph.D., currently serves as Under Secretary for the USDA where he oversees the work of the U.S. Forest Service. He previously served as director for the Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Restoration Team, responsible for overseeing the rebuilding of the ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico after the BP oil spill of 2010.  He has also served as the acting associate chief of USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Washington, D.C. During his 40-plus years at USDA, Wilkes also served as state conservationist for Mississippi and chief financial officer for NRCS in Washington, D.C..