The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest welcomes Petersam (Sam) Le as the new budget officer.
He is responsible for overseeing the forest’s more than $25 million of appropriated funds.
“We are pleased to have Sam join our Forest Leadership Team,” Forest Supervisor Bill Dunkelberger said in a news release providing details. “His experience and familiarity with our budget and other financial processes will be of great benefit to us.”
Le served in the Marine Corps for four years. Once he got out of the service in 2005, he earned a bachelor of science degree in business accounting and a master of business administration in accounting from the University of Phoenix in Tukwila, Washington.
Le joined the Forest Service in 2011 as a financial analyst with the Albuquerque Service Center Budget &Finance Incident Finance Branch in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He spent three years working in various areas, before being promoted to a lead financial analyst in the Albuquerque Service Center Budget &Finance Billing Branch.
In 2015, Le accepted the budget officer position on the Colville National Forest in Colville, Washington where he was responsible for more than $20 million of appropriated funds. He performed or had oversight of all budget processes including planning, analysis, formulation, execution, and monitoring.
In addition, Le oversaw procurement processes, conducted financial reviews, and audited collections. He most recently served in a four-month detail as the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s acting budget officer.
“I am very excited to start the next chapter of my career with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest,” Le said in a statement. “I am looking forward to the challenges ahead and using my leadership skills and budget/finance experience to help the forest continue to be fiscally responsible.”
Le replaces Jason Pias, who accepted a new position as the budget coordinator for the Forest Service’s Eastern Regional Office’s Natural Resource Program in Milwaukee.