USDA announces new presidential appointments

Washington, D.C., April 14, 2025 — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins today announced the latest slate of presidential appointments, bringing new leadership to key roles within the Department.

These appointees have been selected to implement President Trump’s America First agenda at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), ensuring the needs of America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers remain a top priority.

“Agriculture is the backbone of America, and strong leadership at the People’s Department is key to America’s continued success. I’m proud to welcome this team of experienced, dedicated professionals to USDA. Together, we’ll work to promote rural prosperity and ensure those who feed and fuel the world can do so without regulatory burdens standing in the way.”

Secretary Rollins

Bailey Archey Appointed as Policy Advisor in the Marketing and Regulatory Programs

Bailey Archey serves as a Policy Advisor in the Marketing and Regulatory Programs mission area, focusing on Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issues. Bailey graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science in Animal and Dairy Sciences and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. She previously served as a Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, focusing on agriculture.

Kelsey Barnes Appointed as Senior Advisor to the Secretary 

Kelsey Barnes serves as Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Rural Development, Biofuels, and Research, Education, and Economics. Most recently, she served as the Director of Government Affairs at Farm Journal Foundation. She previously served as Chief of Staff to the Rural Business Cooperative Service at USDA. As a soldier in the Army National Guard, she worked on Operation Atlantic Resolve in Bulgaria, Germany, and Romania.

Bill Beam Appointed as Administrator for the Farm Service Agency

Bill Beam serves as the Administrator for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) within Farm Production and Conservation. Bill formerly served as Deputy Administrator of Farm Programs for FSA in the first Trump Administration. He owns and operates Beam Farms Inc. with his family. Bill has served on various boards and committees including the Pennsylvania Soybean Board, United Soybean Board, United States Soybean Export Council, Rural Investment to Protect Our Environment, and Tel Hai Board.

Aubrey Bettencourt Appointed as Chief of the Natural Resource Conservation Service

Aubrey Bettencourt serves as Chief of the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Aubrey most recently served as the Global Director of Government Relations and External Affairs for Netafim, an Orbia Company. Her previous roles include serving as President and CEO of the Almond Alliance and Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of the Interior in the first Trump Administration. Aubrey holds a degree in History from Westmont College.

Jordan Bonfitto Appointed as Chief of Staff for Marketing and Regulatory Programs

Jordan Bonfitto serves as Chief of Staff for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. Most recently, Jordan served as Director of Government Affairs at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida.

Seth W. Christensen Appointed as Director of Communications

Seth W. Christensen, J.D., serves as Communications Director of USDA. Most recently, Seth served as Assistant Agency Director and the Chief of Media, Communications, and Preparedness at the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). He previously served as Homeland Security and Public Safety Advisor to Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Chief of Staff at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Seth earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law and his bachelor’s degree in political science from Texas A&M University. He has been a licensed attorney with the State Bar of Texas since 2013.

Trey Forsyth Appointed as Chief of Staff for Food Safety

Trey Forsyth serves as Chief of Staff for Food Safety, and he previously served as a Professional Staff Member for the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry for Chairman John Boozman. Trey also served in the Trump Administration as policy advisor to Gregg Doud, the Chief Agriculture Negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Trey graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Agricultural Business.

Dr. Jaye L. Hamby Appointed as Director of National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Dr. Jaye L. Hamby serves as the Director of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Prior to joining USDA NIFA, Dr. Hamby led and directed proprietary research efforts. He graduated from the University of Tennessee’s College of Agriculture with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education and earned master’s and doctoral degrees in Agricultural Education with a specialization in Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State University.

Natalie Ihrman Appointed as Press Secretary

Natalie Ihrman serves as Press Secretary. Prior to this role, she worked on Capitol Hill for U.S. Senators James Lankford and Marsha Blackburn. She also served as Deputy Executive Director of Women for Trump in 2020.

Dr. Alveda King Appointed as Senior Advisor on Faith and Community Outreach

Alveda C. King, PhD, serves as Senior Advisor on Faith and Community Outreach. She is a guardian of The King Family Legacy, Chair of the AFPI Center for the American Dream, founder of Alveda King Ministries, and co-founder of She Leads Georgia and Speak for Life. She was elected twice to the Georgia State House, and she graduated from Aidan University.

Courtney Knupp Appointed as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary

Courtney Knupp serves as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary for Trade and Food Safety. Most recently, Courtney served as the Vice President of International Market Development at the National Pork Board. Previously, Courtney served as Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary of Administration and held numerous leadership roles across the Department in the first Trump Administration. A native of a diversified family farm in Iowa, Courtney holds a degree in Agricultural Business and International Agriculture from Iowa State University.

Maggie Linden Appointed as Senior Advisor for Marketing and Regulatory Programs

Maggie Linden serves as Senior Advisor for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. She previously worked in government relations for clients in the food and agriculture industry. Maggie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Virginia.

David Matthews Appointed as Director of State Operations for Rural Development

David Matthews serves as the Director of State Operations for Rural Development. He previously served in roles at the Food and Nutrition Service, the Farm Service Agency, and as a representative of the White House. David was previously appointed by President Trump to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD), a board dedicated to advising USAID on agricultural and food security programs in developing countries.

James Miller Appointed as Administrator for Food and Nutrition Service

James Miller serves as the Administrator for Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). As Administrator, Miller leverages his extensive senior leadership experience in financial and operational management across the healthcare, nonprofit, and government sectors. Administrator Miller has an MBA in Healthcare Management and a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Brian Mizoguchi Appointed as Deputy General Counsel

Brian Mizoguchi serves as Deputy General Counsel. He previously served in the Office of General Counsel at USDA as an Associate and Assistant General Counsel and in the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, twice, in between stints in law firms. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.

Riley Pagett Appointed as Chief of Staff for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs

Riley Pagett serves as Chief of Staff for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. Most recently, Riley served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Representative Tracey Mann. Previously, Riley served as Chief of Staff for USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement. He holds a Juris Doctorate from American University Washington College of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications from Oklahoma State University.

Ricki Schroder Appointed as Chief of Staff for Research, Education, and Economics

Ricki Schroeder serves as Chief of Staff for Research, Education, and Economics. Ricki previously served as Professional Staff for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture and is a graduate of Oklahoma State University.

Alison Slagell Appointed as Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary

Alison Slagell serves as Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Farm Production and Conservation, and Immigration. Most recently Alison served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Frank Lucas of Oklahoma. Alison was born and raised in Hydro, Oklahoma, on her family’s fifth generation farm and is a proud graduate of Oklahoma State University.

Tucker Stewart Appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations

Tucker Stewart serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations. Most recently, he was General Counsel and the Senior Agricultural Policy Advisor for his home-state Senator, Roger Marshall, M.D. He obtained degrees in Agriculture at Butler Community College and Animal Science at Kansas State University. He also graduated with honors from Washburn University School of Law.

Pat Swanson Appointed as Administrator for the Risk Management Agency

Pat Swanson serves as the Administrator for the Risk Management Agency (RMA) within Farm Production and Conservation. Most recently, Pat has served as a director for the American Soybean Association (ASA) and completed her term on the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board. Along with her husband, Pat has experience running a crop insurance agency, and Pat and her family run a seventh-generation farm.

T.W. Shannon Appointed as Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Rural Prosperity

T.W. Shannon serves as Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Rural Prosperity. T.W. served as the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2013 to 2014. He has worked extensively in banking and economic development, serving as CEO of Chickasaw Community Bank. Shannon is a Harvard Kennedy School Fellow and a Rodel Fellow. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Cameron University and a Juris Doctor from Oklahoma City University.

Carlee Tousman Appointed as Director of Special Projects

Carlee Tousman serves as the Director of Special Projects. With a background in strategic event planning and government communications, Carlee has built her career at the intersection of public service and mission-driven organizations, gaining experience in stakeholder engagement, executive support, and cross-sector collaboration. Prior to joining USDA, she served as Director of Events at Teneo and as Deputy Communications Director for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Carlee holds a B.A. in Political Science from James Madison University.

Alec Varsamis Appointed as Deputy Director of Communications

Alec Varsamis serves as Deputy Director of Communications. Alec served in the first Trump Administration as Press Secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He recently advised clients on crisis and issues management and public affairs for multinational companies in the retail, food, and agriculture industries.

Audra Weeks Appointed as Director of External and Intergovernmental Affairs

Audra Weeks serves as the Director of External and Intergovernmental Affairs. She previously served in the first Trump Administration as Deputy Press Secretary, and she most recently specialized in crisis and issues management for food and agricultural clients in the private sector. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education and Communication from the University of Florida, a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University, and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University.