Press Release
☷U S Department of Agriculture Announces Senior Staff Appointments
U.S. Department of Agriculture ( By Press Release office)
Jan 18,2024
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The U . S . Department of Agriculture announced today the names of individuals who will hold senior staff positions in Washington , D . C . Kumar Chandran has been designated Acting Under Secretary for Food , Nutrition , and Consumer Services ( FNCS ) . He has been instrumental in the Biden - Harris Administration ' s health and nutrition initiatives since the beginning , serving on the USDA Agency Review team during the transition and as a Senior Advisor for Nutrition Policy in the Office of the Secretary . Kumar has extensive experience in nutrition advocacy and public service , including leading the policy work of the national non - profit FoodCorps . He was also Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary for Food , Nutrition , and Consumer Services during the Obama Administration . In his new role , Kumar will apply his experience to help achieve the Administration ' s vision for reducing hunger and improving nutrition for all Americans . Stacy Dean , Deputy Under Secretary for FNCS , will serve alongside Kumar . Justo Robles , who previously served as Director of Intergovernmental Relations at FEMA , is rejoining USDA as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Secretary . He ' s going to work with Deputy Chief of Staff Anne Knapke , who ' s been in that role since December 2021 . Russellie Bongolan will be the Chief of Staff for Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small . She ' ll lead a team that focuses on supporting USDA ' s internal operations , recruiting new USDA leaders , and making sure USDA programs are delivered effectively to communities that need them . Russellie recently worked as the White House Liaison for USDA . Before that , she was appointed as a Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Research Education and Economics Mission Area . She ' s also worked as a Political Director and Deputy Director of Coalitions for Senator Raphael Warnock and Biden for President . She has experience in veterans ' health administration and education technology . Alberto A . Gonzalez , Jr . will be a Chief Policy Advisor in his new role . He previously worked as a Senior Advisor focused on External Engagement and as a Senior Project Manager for Health Policy at UnidosUS . He ' s also worked at Community Catalyst , the California Immigrant Policy Center , and the California State Assembly . He has a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and American Studies from the University of California , Berkeley . #USDA is an equal opportunity provider , employer , and lender .
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