Acting Director Lauren Henderson has a long history with the Oregon Department of Agriculture. He joined the Department in 1999 and worked in several leadership positions before being appointed Assistant Director in 2006 and Deputy Director in 2021.
Henderson is a well-respected administrator and leader. Over the past 24 years, Henderson has overseen several regulatory programs that provide food safety, consumer protection, natural resource protection, and water resource management. In addition, he has worked with federal and state officials to enhance international trade opportunities for Oregon agriculture businesses by facilitating trade delegations for Oregon's agricultural leaders, growers, and producers in the Pacific Rim, Mexico, Canada, and Europe. The state's $5 billion agricultural industry exports approximately $2.6 billion in agriculture, food, and beverage products to 94 markets worldwide annually, supporting more than 531,000 jobs statewide.
Henderson was born and raised in Madras, Oregon, a rural agricultural community in the state's center. After graduating high school, he moved to the Willamette Valley to attend Western Oregon University, where he earned a bachelor's degree.