Regional Forester to present Commencement Address
Release Date: March 13, 2016
Press Release
PUEBLO - A 1986 graduate of Colorado State University-Pueblo will share his insights with Colorado State University-Pueblo graduates in May. Daniel Jiron will present the Commencement Address during the spring ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 7 at the Colorado State Fair Southwest Motors Events Center.
"I am honored to return to my hometown and alma mater to address the Colorado State University-Pueblo graduates as they embark on the next chapter of their lives," Jiron said.
Jirón became Regional Forester of the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, in March 2012. As Regional Forester he is responsible for the administration of more than 22 million acres in 17 National Forests and 7 National Grasslands, as well as cooperative efforts with state and private landowners in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and eastern Wyoming.
Prior to his current position, Jirón served as the Deputy Regional Forester for the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, which encompasses 20 million acres of National Forest System Lands in California, and includes 18 National Forests as well as conservation programs in Hawaii, and the affiliated Islands of the United States. In addition, Jirón served as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service Representative on the Board of Directors for the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and as Chair of the Lake Tahoe Regional Executives.
In previous assignments, Jirón served as Forest Supervisor of the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico and as a Trustee for the Valles Caldera National Preserve also in New Mexico. He also served as the National Press Officer and Agency Spokesman in Washington, D.C.; Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs for the Intermountain Region in Ogden, Utah; District Ranger on the Salt Lake Ranger District, Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Utah; and South Park Ranger District, Pike and San Isabel National Forests and Comanche and Cimarron National Grasslands in Colorado. Jirón also served as an aide to United States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado.
He earned a bachelor's degree in social sciences from Colorado State University-Pueblo and a master's degree from Regis University.
On May 7, guests at the commencement ceremony may arrive at 8 a.m. in order to secure seating, which is on a first-come, first-served basis. Following the commencement ceremony, the CSU-Pueblo Alumni Association will sponsor a reception for graduates and their guests. For more information about the CSU-Pueblo Commencement ceremony, visit www.csupueblo.edu/commencement.
Colorado State University - Pueblo is a regional, comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented, and applied programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging in service and outreach, CSU-Pueblo is distinguished by access, opportunity, and the overall quality of services provided to its students.