Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove has dedicated his life and career to public service and our public lands. After studying environmental science and energy policy in college and graduate school, he began his career in public service representing the working-class suburbs of South King County in the Washington House of Representatives for over a decade. He then went on to serve on King County Council for 12 years - including four as chair - where he advanced sustainable policies across the largest county in Washington State.

Last January, he made history when he became the first out LGBTQ statewide elected executive in Washington's history. As Commissioner, he leads the Department of Natural Resource in its work to steward 5.6 million acres of public lands, forests, and waters. He has successfully guided the agency through a turbulent period at both the state and federal level and initiated the largest forest conservation action in Washington in a generation.