The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today the appointment of J.B. Martin as Director of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for the Pacific Islands Area (PIA).
J.B. had been serving as the interim Acting Director at NRCS PIA since March 2022, with the departure of Director Travis Thompson and Acting Director Chad Cherefko. Prior to his arrival to the NRCS PIA State Office in Honolulu, J.B. served as the Deputy State Conservationist for Texas.
His vast experience and leadership to NRCS PIA includes serving as an Agronomist at Central National Technical Support Center, the Acting Director of the Southern Plains Climate Hub, the State Conservationist for North Carolina the Deputy State Conservationist for Colorado, an Area Conservationist in Flagstaff, AZ, a District Conservationist in Madison, WI and West Burlington, IA, and a Soil Conservationist in Marshalltown, IA.
“Despite the continuing challenges of COVID-19, our staff continues to serve the Pacific Islands Area farmers and forest owners delivering 519 conservation plans on 61,378 acres of agricultural and forest lands, says J.B. “I have enjoyed my career thus far and look forward to continuing to spread the word about the good work that NRCS does.”
J.B. received his B.S. in Agriculture Economics from Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi.
Born and raised in Crystal Spring, MS, J.B. is married and has one daughter. He enjoys sports, traveling, and the outdoors.
About NRCS PIA
NRCS Pacific Islands Area includes the state of Hawai’i, territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States. At NRCS, the mission is to deliver conservation solutions so that agricultural producers can protect natural resources and feed a growing world. As an agency of the USDA, NRCS is unique among all Federal Agencies by accomplishing conservation goals through incentive-based voluntary participation. To get work done, NRCS builds relationships and trust with partners and program participants. Partnering with local Soil and Water Conservation Districts is the key to continued conservation success.
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