The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments.
Thomas James Vilsack is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 32nd United States secretary of agriculture under the Biden administration. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 30th secretary of agriculture from 2009 to 2017 in the Obama administration and as the 40th governor of Iowa from 1999 to 2007.
The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is the foreign affairs agency with primary responsibility for the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) overseas programs — market development, international trade agreements and negotiations, and the collection of statistics and market information. It also administers the USDA's export credit guarantee and food aid programs and helps increase income and food availability in developing nations by mobilizing expertise for agriculturally led economic growth. The FAS mission statement reads, "Linking U.S. agriculture to the world to enhance export opportunities and global food security," and its motto is "Linking U.S. Agriculture to the World."
Charles Floyd Hatcher is an American politician and lawyer from Georgia. He served in Congress as a Democrat.
Naomi Churchill Earp is an American lawyer and government official from Maryland and Virginia. From 2007 to 2009 she served as chair of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, where she established the Youth At Work Program. She was designated by President George W. Bush in 2006, succeeding Cari M. Dominguez. Prior to her appointment as Chair, she had served as vice chair of the commission since 2003. A native of Newport News, Virginia, Ms. Earp received her bachelor's degree from Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Virginia; master's degree from Indiana University Bloomington; and Juris Doctor from Catholic University's Columbus School of Law, Washington, DC. Some report she is a member of the Supreme Court Bar and the Pennsylvania Bar, but she is not listed as either an active or inactive member of that bar.
The Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics is a high-ranking official within the United States Department of Agriculture that provides leadership and oversight for the Agricultural Research Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Economic Research Service, National Agricultural Library, National Agricultural Statistics Service.
The United States deputy secretary of agriculture is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Agriculture, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The deputy secretary becomes acting secretary of agriculture in the event of the Secretary's resignation, death, or otherwise inability to fulfill the duties of the position. The deputy secretary performs whatever duties are prescribed to him or her by the secretary of agriculture. The deputy secretary of agriculture is paid at level II of the Executive Schedule, meaning he or she receives a basic salary of $177,000 annually.
Karen Ross is the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, having been appointed to that post by Governor Jerry Brown on January 12, 2011. She had previously served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, a position she accepted in 2009. From 1996 to 2009, she was president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG). She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and the Nebraska Agricultural Leadership Program.
Rayne Pegg is the Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture, and was appointed on July 6, 2009 by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. In her position, she has the responsibility of overseeing AMS policies and programs. AMS administers programs that facilitate the efficient, fair marketing of U.S. agricultural products, including food, fiber, and specialty crops. She participated in the World Trade Organization and US-Korea FTA negotiations, and was previously appointed to USDA’s Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee on Fruits and Vegetables.
Islam A. Siddiqui is an Indian-American scientist, and government official, and lobbyist who served as the Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Prior to this, he was Vice President for Science and Regulatory Affairs at CropLife America, and a career official in the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Shirley Sherrod is a former Georgia State Director of Rural Development for the United States Department of Agriculture. On July 19, 2010, she became a subject of controversy when parts of a speech she gave were publicized by Breitbart News, and she was forced to resign. However, upon review of the complete unedited video in context, the NAACP, White House officials, and Tom Vilsack, the United States Secretary of Agriculture, apologized for the firing and Sherrod was offered a new position.
On July 19, 2010, Shirley Sherrod was fired from her appointed position as Georgia State Director of Rural Development for the United States Department of Agriculture. Her firing was an administration reaction to media reports on video excerpts from her address to an event of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in March 2010 and commentary posted by conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart on his website. Based on these excerpts, the NAACP condemned Sherrod's remarks as racist and US government officials called on the official to resign. However, review of her full speech showed that the excerpts had been selectively edited, and that her remarks – understood in context – were about the importance of overcoming personal prejudices. The NAACP and White House officials then apologized for their earlier criticisms, and United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack apologized for the firing and offered Sherrod a new position.
Thomas Richard Nides is an American banker and government official who is the managing director and vice chairman of Morgan Stanley. He serves as a member of the firm's management and operating committee. Nides was previously the United States Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources from 2011 to 2013. Nides has served in multiple financial institutions and in a variety of governmental roles. He is a strong proponent of diversity efforts in government and in the private sector, including reducing the funding gap for women and multicultural entrepreneurs
Darci Vetter is an American government official and academic who served as Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
Michael T. Scuse is an American government official serving as the Delaware Secretary of Agriculture. Scuse previously served as the acting United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and United States Secretary of Agriculture in the Obama administration.
Stephen Lee Censky is an American businessman and former government official. He served as the United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 through 2020. In November 2020, he became the CEO of the American Soybean Association (ASA). He was also CEO of the ASA for 21 years prior to his tenure as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.
Brian Baenig is an American government official who served as Chief of Staff for Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack from 2013 to 2015.
Robert Bonnie is the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Senior Advisor, Climate, in the Office of the Secretary in the United States Department of Agriculture. He was appointed Jan. 20, 2021.
The USDA Coalition of Minority Employees is a civil rights organization formed by employees of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1994 specifically focused on ending discrimination within the Department and more generally on eradicating racism in agriculture in the United States.
