Aubrey Bettencourt, Principal Deputy Commissioner, Exercising the Delegated Authority of the Commissioner
Aubrey J.D. Bettencourt is the Principal Deputy Commissioner for the Bureau of Reclamation. The Bureau of Reclamation is the Nation’s largest wholesale water supplier and second largest generator of hydroelectric power. Aubrey is a prominent leader in agriculture, water, and sustainability.
Prior to joining Reclamation, she was the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the primary private lands conservation agency at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). NRCS helps producers, soil and water conservation districts, and other partners protect and conserve natural resources on private working lands while supporting American agricultural productivity throughout the United States.
She previously served as Global Director of Government Relations and External Affairs for Netafim, where she helped advance innovative water solutions worldwide. Before joining Netafim, Aubrey led the Almond Alliance as President and CEO, championing the interests of American almond growers and processors and as Sustainability Director at Western United Dairies, where she spearheaded groundwater management initiatives critical to dairy producers.
During the first Trump Administration, Aubrey brought her expertise to both the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). As Deputy Assistant Secretary at DOI, she shaped water and science policy, working to ensure responsible stewardship of the nation’s resources. Prior to that, she served as State Executive Director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency in California, managing farm commodity programs that provided essential support, security, and emergency relief to producers across the state.
Aubrey’s professional journey reflects her commitment to strengthening American agriculture and resource management through collaboration, innovative policy, and practical solutions. Her personable leadership and deep understanding of the challenges facing producers have made her a trusted advocate for sustainable farming and water management nationwide.
Her work reflects her personal commitment to keep farmers farming through sound water policy, agricultural support, technology, and sustainable practices. This is supported by her family’s farming roots in California’s great Central Valley.
Aubrey is a third-generation farmer at Bettencourt Farms in Kings County, California, alongside her father, mother, husband, daughter, and loyal farm dogs. Aubrey is an Eisenhower Agricultural Fellow and holds a degree in History from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.
