Homer Lee Wilkes is the Obama administration’s nominee to be the new Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment. If confirmed by the Senate, Wilkes would replace the very controversial Mark Rey, a former timber industry lobbyist who held the position during the Bush administration.
The Undersecretary position oversees the U. S. Forest Service, a position that is usually filled by someone with a working knowledge of the Forest Service. Wilkes is a 28-year veteran of the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which focuses on farmland conservation. The Undersecretary also oversees the NRCS.
Wilkes graduated from Jackson State University in Mississippi, earning a bachelor’s and master’s of business administration and a doctorate in urban conservation planning. He lives in Madison, Mississippi with his wife and three sons.