Jose L. Sanchez
Director 
Valley Region

A native of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Jose L. Sanchez has been involved in agriculture all of his life. As a young man, he worked as a farm hand and later as a foreman on a potato farm. In 1986, he left the farm to attend Boise State University. In 1990, Sanchez was asked to apply for a position with the Idaho Department of Agriculture to manage the Worker Protection Program (WPP).

In March of 1990, he began his public service career as the Worker Protection Specialist for Idaho. In 1993, he was a presenter at a WPP conference in McAllen and was recruited by TDA. In January of 1994, Sanchez moved to Austin and began his career with TDA as a Health Education Specialist. He has worked as a Pesticide Specialist and a Program Administrator. In September 2004, he was promoted to Regional Director.

Sanchez is married to the former Graciela Montelongo of Donna. They are the parents of three sons.