Robin E. Heard, a native of Louisiana, received her B.A., Summa Cum Laude, Phi Kappa Phi, from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 1976 and joined the then-Soil Conservation Service (SCS) in Louisiana. She moved to Georgia in 1977 and held the positions of Budget Officer, Personnel Director and Resource Conservationist. She held the position of Emergency Watershed Protection Program Coordinator under the Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly SCS) during the 2 years of cleanup from Hurricane Alnerto, which devastated much of Georgia in 1994. While in Georgia, Heard attended graduate school in Forest Resources at the University of Georgia.
In 1995, Heard became Assistant State Conservationist in Utah. In 1997, she accepted the Deputy State Conservationist position in Pennsylvania, where in June 2001 she accepted the State Conservationist position. Ms. Heard has also served as Acting Budget Analyst in OMB, Acting Regional Conservationist, and Acting Chief Financial Officer for NRCS. In April 2006, she became Division Director for the Easement Programs Division in Washington, D.C.
In January 2009, Heard was asked to assist in the transition and was named Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. In May 2009, she accepted her current position as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration.
Heard has received special recognition and numerous awards, including two USDA Honor Awards. She is a member of the Soil and Water Conservation Society and the National Association of Conservation Districts.