Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey today announced the appointment of two long-time managers to key leadership positions. 

Juan Palma, currently the BLM’s Eastern States Director, will assume the State Director’s job in Utah, and Selma Sierra, currently the Utah State Director, will move to the Eastern States Director position.

“I am very pleased that Juan and Selma have agreed to serve in these key positions,” Abbey said.  “Both bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge about the BLM’s programs.” 
 
Before serving in his current position, Palma was the field manager in the BLM’s Las Vegas office.  Prior to that, he was the executive director for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, a bi-state compact agency that oversees all land-use planning activities within the Lake Tahoe Region. He has held a number of other land-management jobs, including the district manager position for the BLM’s Vale District office in Oregon, and was forest supervisor for the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

Palma was raised in Toppenish, Wash. He attended Brigham Young University and graduated from Oregon State University with a business management degree. He received a master’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of Nevada at Reno.

Sierra has held numerous positions within the BLM and at the Department of the Interior.  Before her current position, she served as the BLM chief of staff in the Washington, D.C., office. Prior to that, she was the agency’s assistant director for communications.  Sierra has also held positions in the Department of the Interior, Department of Commerce and on Capitol Hill.

Sierra is a native of La Union, N.M.  She received a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and government from New Mexico State University.