Victor Vasquez was appointed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack as Deputy Under Secretary for USDA Rural Development on May 13, 2009. Vasquez has had more than two decades of experience in government and private sector in community and economic development at the local, state, federal and international levels. Most recently, Vasquez served as Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the Department of Transitional Assistance for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In addition to Massachusetts, he has worked in state governments in New York, Oregon and Washington. Vasquez received his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Oregon and holds an MPA from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He has also pursued coursework toward a Ph.D. in Community and Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University.