Governor Kotek Appoints Oregon State Forester

Salem, OR — Today, Governor Tina Kotek announced that she has appointed Kacey KC to serve as State Forester and Director of the Oregon Department of Forestry. KC would be the first woman appointed on a permanent basis to lead the agency in state history, pending Oregon Senate approval next month.

“Kacey KC brings tenacity and a get-it-done style to her management approach and knows how to build strong partnerships across all levels of government to tackle complex challenges,” Governor Kotek said. “I am thrilled to welcome her leadership to support and strengthen the mission of the Department of Forestry.”

“I am extremely excited for the opportunity to join the Oregon Department of Forestry team,” Kacey KC said. “While I am not from Oregon, my experience at both the national and state level equips me to deepen key relationships while leading and supporting the strong work and mission of the Department.”

KC is a seasoned public-sector forestry executive with more than 25 years of experience, most recently serving as the State Forester Firewarden for the Nevada Division of Forestry since 2018. In 2021, KC was assigned to the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission established by Congress to advance the nation’s wildfire protection system, and in 2023, KC was appointed the President of the National Association of State Foresters.

Her career reflects deep technical grounding combined with senior executive leadership, including guiding a statewide agency through significant organizational change, modernizing policies and practices, and embedding science-based decision-making across forestry and wildland fire programs. She has led strategic planning, managed complex budgets and grant portfolios, and represented state forestry agencies at the national and international levels. KC is widely recognized for her ability to align public agencies, elected leaders, and partners around shared stewardship goals that protect forests, rangelands, and watersheds at scale.

A headshot of KC can be found here.

KC’s effective start date will be March 1, 2026.

Note to Editors: Senate Bill 1051 transferred the authority to appoint the State Forester from the State Board of Forestry to the Governor, subject to Senate confirmation. The bill was enacted as Chapter 544 and included an emergency clause, making it effective immediately upon passage.

###