Robert Tse creates and implements innovative strategies to benefit California’s regional and rural economies.

He integrates policies, resources and initiatives through federal, state, local government and public-private partnerships. He is the USDA lead for the Strong Cities – Strong Communities, (SC2) White House pilot initiative in Fresno. He is driving strategies for urban-rural broadband infrastructure and development of regional agriculture technology economic clusters in areas such as Fresno and Sacramento. His broad strategic reach also includes goods movement, international trade, health-food-agriculture systems, veterans and farming, water, and energy. He is the State Broadband Coordinator for USDA CA Rural Development.

In 2014 he received the first Champion of Technology Award from the California State Fair. He received his second USDA Secretary’s Honor Award in 2013 and is a 2014/13 recipient of the USEPA Bronze Award, and USEPA National Notable Achievement Award for Brownfields Land Revitalization Team for Region 9.

His accomplishments include: Developing a conference of innovative thought leaders in health, food, agriculture, technology and venture capital (2014); Assisting Fresno’s selection by IBM for its 2013 Global Smarter Cities Challenge; Organizing the first Fresno Agriculture Technology Showcase featuring technologies developed at Lawrence Livermore National Labs and USDA Agricultural Research Service (2013), Development of a USDA RD, ARS and DOE Technology Collaboration Agreement.

Past speaking engagements include: CA Public Utilities Commission – Workshops on Water Energy Nexus; CA Economic Summit – Capitol Day, Working Landscapes Action Team – Data Modeling; Next Generation Telecoms Summit US; Sacramento Regional Technology Alliance Ag Start; CA Technology Agency – Digital Access Summit, National Association of Development Organizations – National Conference; CA Water Policy Conference; CA Board of Forestry and Fire Protection; Fresno COG Peer Exchange; and California Regional Broadband Consortiums.

He is an advisor to the San Joaquin Valley Partnership Board, Sacramento Regional Technology Alliance (SARTA) Ag Start, Sacramento Capital Region Metropolitan Export Plan, and Los Angeles Food Policy Council board member.

Prior to this position he served as the Deputy Director for International Trade in the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and simultaneously as Deputy Secretary for Trade Development with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). He represented CDFA on the Governor’s California Recovery Task Force on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act from 2009-10. He was the Director of Trade for CDFA and is a 17 year veteran of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

Robert Tse holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Boston College Law School, a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University, and Bachelor of Arts degree in American History from Brown University. He was a California Agricultural Leadership Washington, D.C. Fellow, and International Career Advancement Program Fellow. He is on the Board of the World Affairs Council of Sacramento, and Drexel University Sacramento.

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