Justin Abernathy

Justin Abernathy became the acting Nevada State Director in April 2026. Prior to this role, he served as the Deputy State Director for Energy and Minerals for Nevada since 2021. In 2010, Abernathy began his federal career as a land law examiner with the BLM Nevada State Office, and he subsequently served in a variety of supervisory and managerial positions within the Nevada State Office Minerals Division. After his time in Nevada, he served in various management and program leadership roles with the BLM in Utah and Colorado. In 2017, he moved to Washington, DC, to join BLM Headquarters where he served as the senior policy analyst in the Energy, Minerals, and Realty Management Directorate, before becoming the Deputy Director for Policy for the Office of the Executive Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs within the Office of the Secretary for the Department of the Interior. Abernathy received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Indiana University and a Juris Doctor degree from Michigan State University College of Law.