Dr. Jennifer Moore-Kucera is the West Region Team Leader with the Soil Health Division in the USDA-NRCS. She leads a team of three soil health specialists who support the agency’s soil health activities in 13 western states and the Pacific Islands. In her role, Moore-Kucera oversees the development and implementation of science-based, effective, and economically viable soil health management systems on diverse agricultural lands. Moore-Kucera holds a BA in biology and environmental studies from Binghamton University (in her home state of New York) and MS and PhD degrees in soil science (with a soil microbial ecology/biochemistry focus) from Iowa State University and Oregon State University, respectively. Formerly, an associate professor of soil and environmental microbiology, she conducted research in forests, orchards, grasslands, and annual and perennial cropping systems to better understand management options for positively influencing our soil’s living organisms. These organisms are at the core of managing for healthy soils. Through her continued collaborative relationships and training efforts, she hopes to instill the following philosophy: “By shifting our view of soils from an inert growing material to a biologically diverse and active ecosystem, we can help create more sustainable farms, ranches, and forests to provide the food and fiber for our rapidly growing population while protecting land, air and water resources for future generations.”