List of Department of Agriculture appointments by Donald Trump

Key
Appointees serving in offices that did not require Senate confirmation.
Appointees confirmed by the Senate.
Appointees awaiting Senate confirmation.
Appointees serving in an acting capacity.
Appointees who have left office or offices which have been disbanded.
Nominees who were withdrawn prior to being confirmed or assuming office.

Appointments (first administration)

Office Nominee Assumed office Left office

Secretary of Agriculture

Sonny Perdue[1]
April 25, 2017
(Confirmed April 24, 2017, 87–11)[RC1 1]
January 20, 2021

Deputy Secretary of Agriculture

Stephen Censky
October 10, 2017
(Confirmed October 3, 2017, voice vote)[V1 1]
November 8, 2020
Office of the Secretary

General Counsel of Agriculture

Stephen Vaden
December 14, 2018
(Confirmed November 27, 2018, 53–46)[RC1 2]
December 21, 2020
March 17, 2017 September 5, 2017

Chief Financial Officer of Agriculture

Scott Soles[2]
Nomination lapsed and returned to the President on January 3, 2021[3]

Principal Deputy Chief Financial Officer of Agriculture
August 13, 2019 January 20, 2021
Farm Production and Conservation

Under Secretary of Agriculture
(Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services)

Bill Northey[4]
March 6, 2018
(Confirmed February 27, 2018, voice vote)[V1 2]
January 20, 2021

Member of the Board of Directors of the Commodity Credit Corporation

Gary Washington
June 2018
Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services

Under Secretary of Agriculture
(Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services)

Brandon Lipps
Nomination lapsed and returned to the President on January 3, 2021[5]

Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services
August 19, 2019 January 20, 2021
Food Saftey

Under Secretary of Agriculture
(Food Safety)

Mindy Brashears[6]
March 23, 2020
(Confirmed March 23, 2020, voice vote)[V1 3]
January 20, 2021
Marketing and Regulatory Programs

Under Secretary of Agriculture
(Marketing and Regulatory Programs)

Greg Ibach
October 30, 2017
(Confirmed October 26, 2017, voice vote)[V1 4]
January 20, 2021
Natural Resources and Environment

Under Secretary of Agriculture
(Natural Resources and Environment)

James E. Hubbard[7]
September 7, 2018
(Confirmed August 28, 2018, voice vote)[V1 5]
January 20, 2021
Research, Education, and Economics

Under Secretary of Agriculture
(Research, Education, and Economics)

Scott H. Hutchins[8]
Nomination lapsed and returned to the President on January 3, 2021[9]

Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics
January 29, 2019 January 20, 2021

Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture

J. Scott Angle[10]
October 29, 2018
(Appointed September 2018)
January 20, 2021
Rural Development

Under Secretary of Agriculture
(Rural Development)
Vacant

Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development
Vacant

Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service

Kenneth Johnson[11]
April 30, 2018
(Appointed February 8, 2018)
January 20, 2021
Trade and Foreign Agriculture Affairs

Under Secretary of Agriculture
(Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs)

Ted McKinney
October 10, 2017
(Confirmed October 3, 2017, voice vote)[V1 6]
January 20, 2021
Office of Civil Rights

Assistant Secretary of Agriculture
(Civil Rights)

Naomi C. Earp
Nomination lapsed and returned to the President on January 3, 2020[12]

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights
January 28, 2019 January 31, 2020
Office of Congressional Relations

Assistant Secretary of Agriculture
(Congressional Relations)

Ken Barbic[13]
May 7, 2018
(Confirmed April 26, 2018, voice vote)[V1 7]
January 20, 2021

Appointments (second administration)

Office Nominee Assumed office Left office

Secretary of Agriculture

Brooke Rollins[14]
February 13, 2025
(Confirmed February 13, 2025, 72–28)[RC2 1]

Gary Washington[15]
January 20, 2025 February 13, 2025

Deputy Secretary of Agriculture

Stephen Vaden[16]
July 7, 2025
(Confirmed June 10, 2025, 51–44)[RC2 2]

General Counsel of Agriculture
Tyler Clarkson TBD
(Confirmed July 31, 2025, 52–45)[RC2 3]

Chief Financial Officer of Agriculture
Todd Lindsey Awaiting Senate Confirmation

Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation

Richard Fordyce

Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs
Dudley Hoskins

Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment
Michael Boren

Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics

Scott H. Hutchins

Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs
Luke J. Lindberg TBD
(Confirmed August 2, 2025, 78-17)[RC2 4]

Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety

Mindy Brashears
Awaiting Senate Confirmation

Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development
Glen Smith

Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights
Devon Westhill

Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Congressional Affairs

Yvette Herrell

Inspector General of the United States Department of Agriculture
John Walk Awaiting Senate Confirmation
Janet M. Sorensen February 1, 2025

Notes

Confirmation votes

Confirmations by roll call vote (first administration)
  1. ^ "PN90 - Sonny Perdue, of Georgia, to be Secretary of Agriculture, 115th Congress (2017–2019)". www.senate.gov. April 24, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  2. ^ "PN889 - Stephen Alexander Vaden, of Tennessee, to be General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture, 115th Congress (2017–2019)". www.senate.gov. November 27, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
Confirmations by voice vote (first administration)
Confirmations by roll call vote (second administration)
Confirmations by voice vote (second administration)


References

  1. ^ Bluestein, Greg, "Breaking: Donald Trump taps Sonny Perdue as his agriculture chief", Atlanta Journal-Constitution", January 18, 2017.
  2. ^ "Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved April 4, 2019 – via National Archives.
  3. ^ "PN560 — Scott Soles — Department of Agriculture". congress.gov. January 3, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  4. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. September 2, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017 – via National Archives.
  5. ^ "PN1329 — Brandon Lipps — Department of Agriculture". congress.gov. January 3, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  6. ^ "Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Personnel to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved May 8, 2018 – via National Archives.
  7. ^ "Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved April 16, 2018 – via National Archives.
  8. ^ "Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to a Key Administration Post". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved July 27, 2018 – via National Archives.
  9. ^ "PN1720 — Scott Hutchins — Department of Agriculture". congress.gov. January 3, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  10. ^ "Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Personnel to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved December 16, 2018 – via National Archives.
  11. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Appoint Kenneth Johnson and Intent to Nominate Jeffrey Nadaner". whitehouse.gov. February 5, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018 – via National Archives.
  12. ^ "PN38 — Naomi C. Earp — Department of Agriculture". congress.gov. January 3, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  13. ^ "USDA Organization Chart" (PDF). Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  14. ^ Qiu, Linda (November 23, 2024). "Trump Picks Brooke Rollins, a Conservative Lawyer, to Lead Agriculture Dept". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 23, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  15. ^ "President Trump Announces Acting Cabinet and Cabinet-Level Positions". The White House. January 20, 2025. Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  16. ^ "Trump picks Vaden as deputy agriculture secretary". www.agri-pulse.com. Archived from the original on December 23, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2024.